The Other Potter
by weightlessly.drifting
Summary: Harry and Cecilia thought the war would soon be over, but they discover that in order to end it, they had to die. When they open their eyes next, they see something very unexpected: the floor of the Department of Mysteries and five of their friends.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I own Harry Potter! ^_^ _No you don't._ Whoa, who are you? And yes I do! _I'm your conscious and you do NOT own Harry Potter in any way shape or form._ Do too! _Do not._ Do. _Don't!_ DO! _DO NOT! _FINE! I don't own Harry Potter. Happy now? _Quite._**

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Cecilia Potter looked around the headmaster's office, empty except for Harry Potter and herself. They had just emerged from the pensive after viewing Snape's memories. Harry sat up slowly, looking around. They looked at each other, now knowing what they had to do to save all the remaining innocent lives they could.

"So, this is it, isn't it?" Cecilia said, her eyes watering. Harry nodded not bothering to speaking. They both stood up at the same time, smiling slightly at their twin-ly-ness.

"Cici, I—" Harry stopped talking, not knowing what to say to his twin sister.

She walked over to him and put her hands on her shoulders. "Harry, you don't have to say anything. Its not your fault Voldemort went after you, that you're a twin."

"Yeah, I see what you're saying, but I feel like I dragged you into this. If you had been an only child our parents would still be alive, you wouldn't be sacrificing yourself now, and I… I wish that somehow I could make it different for you." Harry's eyes were glazing over with tears. "I never wanted it to end like this for you, that's why I had you stay at Hogwarts when Hermione, Ron and I went off searching for horcruxes. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I knew you were somewhere that you could have been in danger."

"You know, in retrospect, making me stay at Hogwarts, which, by the way, I still resent you for, wasn't exactly keeping me safe. It wasn't safe here, you should've realized that."

"I know, but you played your part well here, I couldn't have asked for anything more."

They walked to the door together, side by side. They weren't exactly that same, as most people believed twins were. Cecilia's hair was a dark red, much like her mothers and Harry's was black, but they shared the same green eyes of their mother. They were somewhat similar in height but Cecilia was slightly shorter, and where Harry's features were more masculine hers were softer, more feminine. Her shoulders weren't nearly as broad as Harry's and her face, sharing much of the same structure as Harry's, was devoid of a scar across her forehead. Their glasses were not the same either; Harry's were round where as Cecilia's were more rectangular.

They descended the staircase together. Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak and threw it over the two of them. They passed through the halls without seeing anybody, but when they reached the front doors they almost ran into Neville and Oliver Wood. Harry's arm shot out to stop her from running into them and if he hadn't stabled her she would have fell, giving away their positions.

With a jolt, Cecilia realized that they were carrying the body of Collin Creevey, obviously dead. Oliver said something and Neville let go of the body and headed back outside to look for more bodies, but she didn't hear what was said. Her mind was spinning with all the people that had died fighting for Harry, Ron, Hermione and herself. Tonks, Fred, Snape, and… her breath hitched…and Remus and so many countless others.

Harry took her hand and pulled her along; she hadn't even realized that she had stopped moving. Harry, seeming to have a brilliant idea, pulled the cloak off himself.

"Neville." Cecilia, having realized what Harry was doing as soon as he pulled the cloak off, also let the cloak pool around her feet, reveling herself to Neville too.

"Blimey, Harry, Cecilia, you nearly gave me a heart failure!" His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Where are you two going alone?"

"Don't worry, Neville. It's all part of the plan." Cecilia said reassuringly.

"Listen, Neville. There's something Cici and I have to do…"

"Wait! You're not thinking of handing yourselves over, are you?"

"Of course not." Harry shook his head; he hated lying to his friends. "This is something else and we're going to be out of sight for a while. You know Voldemort's snake? He's got a huge snake… Calls it Nagini?"

"Yeah, I've heard about it…why?"

"It's got to be killed, Neville." Cecilia said, trying hard to keep her voice from shaking. "Ron and Hermione… they know, but you know, in case they're… busy, and you have the chance…"

"Kill the snake?" Neville questioned.

"Kill the snake." Harry repeated.

"All right, Harry. You two are okay aren't you; you look a little pale. Well, paler than your normal pale, Cici."

Cici nodded, not trusting her voice to speak without faltering. "We're fine, Neville, thanks though." Harry said, saving her from answering.

Harry bent to pick the cloak from the ground, but Neville grabbed Harry's wrist. "We're going to keep fighting; you guys know that, don't you, 'till the very end."

Harry just nodded and Neville seemed to find nothing strange. He patted Harry on the shoulder and moved on to find more bodies without further word. Harry then continued to swing the cloak over him and Cecilia.

They traveled on and saw a figure crouching over girl whispering for her mother. It Ginny crouching over a girl they didn't recognize. Harry stopped but Cecilia pulled him on, fearing that if she too stopped she would not be able to find the strength to continue on.

They reached the edge of the forest and stopped. Dementors surrounded it and they both knew they didn't have enough strength to produce a patronus. Harry suddenly fumbled with the pouch that Hagrid had given him for his seventeenth birthday. He pulled out the snitch, looked at it, and touched it to his lips and whispered something inaudible to Cecilia's ears; the shell broke open and Cecilia stared openly at it.

Harry lit his wand reveling the black stone with the jagged crack running down the middle. The Resurrection Stone had cracked along the line representing the Elder Wand leaving the triangle and circle that represented the cloak and stone still discernible.

Cecilia immediately understood. When they turned the stone over, they would not be fetching the dead, the dead would be fetching them. Harry held the stone out to Cecilia so she could touch it with him while it was turned so they both would be able to see the people that would appear.

They both closed their eyes and turned it over three times. Cecilia knew at once that it worked because she could sense the movement around them. They opened their eyes at exactly the same moment.

They were neither ghost nor true flesh; that much she could tell. They more closely resembled the Riddle that had escaped from the diary (which they now knew was really a horcrux) back in second year. On each face was the same loving smile.

James was as tall as Harry. His hair untidy and ruffled, much like Harry's. Sirius was taller and handsome; By far the youngest they had ever seen him. Lupin was younger too; less shabby and his hair was thicker and darker. Lily was the one Cecilia was most surprised to see. They looked almost exactly the same except for the few features that her father gave her. Their hair was exactly the same length, reaching their lower back, but Cecilia's was pulled back into a ponytail high on her head. Their eyes were exactly the same and without the glasses, they could have easily passed as twins; it was hard to believe that Harry and Cecilia were the twins of the group.

It was a while before anyone could speak. "You two have been so brave." Lily spoke, voicing what all the dead were thinking. Both Harry and Cecilia couldn't speak.

"You are nearly there." James said, his eyes passing between Harry and Cecilia. "Very close. You have no idea… how proud we are of you."

"Does it hurt?" The question that fell from Harry's lips Cecilia found childish but she didn't say this because she had been about to ask the same thing.

"Dying?" Sirius asked. "Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep."

"And we know he'll be quick about it. He wants this over." Lupin spoke and Cecilia couldn't believe that she had kept the tears in. The man she loved like a father; the one she had turned to after her Godfather's death two years ago, the one that had died trying to protect her and here she was, just hours later, walking into her very own death willingly. She felt she had betrayed him, for he cast his life in front of the killing curse aimed for her in order to save her. She looked down, ashamed.

"I didn't men for any of you to die. I'm sorry," Harry turned toward Lupin and Cecilia. "Remus, right after you've had your kid, I'm so sorry."

"And I am sorry too. Sorry that I will never get to know him… but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand. I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."

"I'm sorry, Cecilia, sorry that I caused you such a horrible life—" Harry looked close to tears.

"Harry, I've told you before, I don't think it's your fault, even if you do, and I won't have you constantly saying sorry for that. Plus, you should know that even if I had the opportunity, I still would choose this life over any other because it made me who I am and got where I am today and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Lily smile got bigger, if that was possible. She loved to know that her daughter would always stand by her side. "You'll stay with us?" Harry asked. Cecilia thought that it was foolish question, they would stay, of course they would.

"Until that very end." James said, his smile fading a small amount.

"And they won't be able to see you?" Harry asked. That was something Cecilia was worrying about too.

"We are a part of you two," Sirius said, "invisible to anyone and everyone else."

They all looked around at each other and set off. The dementors' chill did not affect them and they passed through without further delay. They acted like patronuses to Harry and Cecilia.

They traveled on in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts. There was a dull thud and a whisper.

"Someone there?" Came a rough whisper. "They've got Potter's invisibility cloak. You think it could be…?"

Two figures emerged from behind a nearby tree. Their wands were lit and Cecilia immediately recognized Yaxley and Dolohov peering around the forest, directly where they were standing, but apparently not seeing any of the six people standing there.

"I definitely heard something," Yaxley said, still trying to see something where there was nothing to see. "An animal, d'you reckon?"

"Could be, that head case, Hagrid, kept a lot of foreign animals in here." Dolohov replied, peering over his shoulder.

Yaxley looked down at his wrist that held a watch. "Times nearly up. The Potter twins," He sneered at their name. "Have had their hour."

"And he was so sure they'd come. He's not going to be happy 'bout that."

"Well, we'd better get back. See what the plan is now." They started back; Cecilia realized that they were leading them right to where they needed to go. "Say, why does he want to girl too?"

"I don't think he really wants her. I think it's more of a matter of finishing off all the Potter family like he ment to all those years ago."

They traveled on for a few minutes after that in silence. They saw a light up ahead and the two Death Eaters stepped out into the clearing where the giant spider, Aragog, had once resided.

A fired burned in the middle of the clearing and cast flickering lights over the circle of silent Death Eaters. Some were masked and hooded still but others showed their faces. There were two giants sitting on the outskirts of the clearing casting large shadows over the Death Eaters.

Yaxley and Dolohov joined the others in the circle. "I'm sorry; there has been no sign of them, my Lord." Bellatrix had said something but the stone slipping from her and Harry's fingers distracted Cecilia. She saw out of the corner of her eyes her parents Sirius and Remus disappear.

"I thought for sure they would come." Voldemort said, his eyes focused on the leaping flames in front of him. Harry and Cecilia placed their wands beneath their robes so they wouldn't be tempted to try and fight. Harry also pulled the cloak off and stuffed it beneath his robes. Voldemort then continued. "I was, it seems… mistaken."

Harry stood a little straighter and walked out into the firelight. "You weren't." Harry had said it loudly and the giants roared and Death Eaters rose together. There were cries, gasps, and even laughter; the noise so loud that Cecilia's cry of 'Harry, no!" wasn't heard.

Just then a voice yelled: "HARRY! NO!" They both turned to see what it was. Hagrid was tied to a tree on the outskirts of the clearing. His massive body shook the branches overhead as he struggled, desperate to break free. "NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT'RE YEH—"

"QUIET!" Shouted a Death Eater, one by the name of Rowle, Cecilia thought. With a flick of his wand Hagrid was silenced.

"What is this? The Boy Why Lived, alone?" Voldemort mocked him, trying to seem normal.

Deciding quickly what to do, Cecilia squared her shoulders and strode out to stand next to Harry. "No, he has me." Cecilia moved next Harry, standing tall.

Voldemort studied them for a moment. He stood up and traveled closer to the fire, wand raised, head inclined like a curious child's would be. They made no attempt to pull out their wands and Voldemort raised his higher, pointing it directly at Cecilia's chest, knowing that it would hurt Harry more to see his sister die before he was killed.

He looked on, expecting Harry or Cecilia to pull out their wands and try to attack but neither did. He waited to see what would happen and then, sensing that he would get no reaction anytime soon, muttered the two unforgivable words. "Avada Kedavra." There was the flash of green light and Cecilia squeezed her eyes shut after one last fleeting glance at her twin brother and her body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

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**A/N: Hello all. I am completely revising this entire story. It's taken a little while, but I've got most of the story done already. After I finished re-posting all the chapters, I will then continue to work on the next chapter.**

**WD**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Do I own Harry Potter yet? _No. _Really? I was hoping. _Sadly, you do not._ Do you think I could afford it with my allowance? _You do not get an allowance._ Oh, right...that is a slight problem... _Yes, it is. _**

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Her body ached all over. She felt the cold hard ground beneath her and tried to move but found that she couldn't. _'This is wrong; all wrong.' _She thought to herself. _'When people die, you don't feel pain; you don't feel anything.'_

She felt someone's strong hands on her shoulders shaking her slightly. She wanted to shout out that she couldn't move but she couldn't speak either. The strong hands lifted her up gently and her brother's face came into view, his lips moving slowly but Cecilia didn't hear anything. Then, as if everything was suddenly pushed into fast-forward, she could hear everything and could move again.

"Cici?" Harry's face held a look of worry. "Cici, are you all right? You look really pale." Harry was holding most of her weight, keeping her upper body supported.

"Harry?" She questioned slowly. "Where are we?" She looked around thinking the setting was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"We're at the Ministry of Magic, department of mysteries, with Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna. Remember?" He said slowly; he looked honestly perplexed and turned to the others behind him. "Do you think maybe she hit her head during that fall?"

Everyone shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders. "Don't know mate, but we gotta get outta—" The rest of Ron's reply was cut off by Harry's sudden scream of pain as he fell over.

Cecilia, being on the floor already, was the first one to reach him. She turned him over so his face was tilted toward the ceiling. His eyes were unfocused and far away; he twitched violently. Cecilia reached out a cautious hand to his shoulder.

"Harry? Harry? Are you alright?" _'Whoa, talk about your déjà vu.'_ She thought as she tried to shake Harry awake, thinking that the position had been reversed moments ago. He stirred slowly; his eyes returning to their normal somewhat focused state, but something had changed in them. They were harder, more determined as he took in his surroundings, a change in his eyes that didn't occur until after he decided not to return to Hogwarts for his seventh year. And right then she knew that Harry had just been killed back in their time and sent back to the department of mysteries two years ago like her.

He sat up and saw his two closest friends standing over him and his sister looking at him with a look that said 'don't say anything', but apparently he didn't catch the hint. "Cici," He started, not taking his eyes off her. "We aren't…I mean, we can't be…because that…and them…and…" He looked utterly flustered. "Cici," He continued, finally putting a coherent thought into a sentence. "Where are we?"

"Harry," She started very slowly, "We're back in the department of mysteries, fifth year." He looked confused.

"But then…that would mean that instead of—" Harry was cut off sharply by Cecilia's hand over his mouth. He peered at her, a question burning in his eyes and she just nodded. His body went slack and she knew they were think the same thing; they were back in the department of mysteries; when Sirius was still alive, but not for long; it ment that they would lose their Godfather once again. If either of them had any tears left to cry, Cecilia was sure that they would both be bawling their eyes out, but their tears had been spent over the last two years from the deaths of Sirius, Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, and so many countless others that died for no reason; that they felt responsible for.

A light bulb went off in Cecilia's head. She reached down and pulled Harry's slumping form off the floor. "Excuse us for a moment, won't you?" She didn't pause for an answer as she dragged Harry off to a corner.

"Harry, we're back in the department of Mysteries, right?" She hurriedly whispered to him. Harry nodded, still looking hurt. "Sirius is still alive. We—"

Harry cut her off sharply. "We can't do anything. He is ment to die today. We can't try to stop it; it might cause our futures to be different."

"Harry, maybe you're not catching what I'm trying to say. Things like this don't just happen; they happen for a reason." Harry still didn't get what she was saying. Cecilia continued on slowly, trying to put the thoughts together in her head. "I… think… I think that for whatever reason this happened, the main one was to save all those innocent lives that were lost in this war."

"But how can we do anything. Sirius will fall through the veil; Dumbledore will be killed because of Malfoy's failure tonight. We can't do anything."

"Dumbledore was going to die anyway… because…" Cecilia was lost in thoughts, snapping her fingers, trying to remember why he was going to die anyway. "BECAUSE OF THE RING! THE STONE, HARRY, THE STONE! THE ONE THAT CARRIED THE CURSE!" Cecilia exclaimed, talking in a normal voice; the others looked over at them hearing the little outburst and she looked down sheepishly and continued on quieter. "We know where it is; the Gaunt Shack. We also know Dumbledore is going to get it sometime after summer vacation starts because when he came to get you, his hand was all burned. We can save him, stop Malfoy from trying to kill him. We can do it, Harry, I know we can."

Harry looked weary. "How are you so sure? I, personally, don't think we can do it."

"There's that optimism we all love about you, Harry. But seriously, if you want to sit back and watch the world fall apart for a second time, then fine, but I'm going to try and do something about it, even if you're not going to be there with me."

She turned sharply, knowing he would cave. Sure enough, seconds later, Harry's hand shot out to pull her back in front of him. "Fine, I'll do it. You're right; I don't want to see that world fall apart again." He looked down, thinking. "What about the other horcruxes? How are we going to get them?"

"Well, we already know where they all are." Cecilia paused, devising a plan in her mind. "When we get back to Hogwarts, we need to get the diadem from the Room of Requirement. And we should go back into the Chamber of Secrets to get some of the fangs from the basilisk to destroy them too. Then when the school year ends, we go to the Gaunt Shack to get the ring before Dumbledore. And we can deal with the Lestranges' vault when it comes to that. Plus, I don't think we are horcruxes anymore."

Harry nodded and glanced to where Hermione and Ron were standing, heads bowed in hushed conversation together. "Should we tell them? Should we tell anyone?"

"Harry, I don't think we should tell anyone. For one, they won't believe us; two, if this gets back to Dumbledore, I have this little feeling that he won't want us to do this early. Harry, promise me that you'll keep this to yourself?"

Harry looked torn between his friends and his sister. He sighed and turned to face his sister. "Okay, I promise you that I will not tell anyone about this."

Neville, Luna and Ginny had been looking around. "Uhh, Harry, Cici, aren't we on a rescue mission here?" Ginny said impatiently while Neville roamed the aisles of hazy orbs.

"Harry, Cici! This orb has your names on it!" Neville said glancing at the perfect sphere with a dully-glowing mist inside it and they snapped back into focus of the current situation they were in.

"Right," Harry whispered to Cecilia, low enough that the others couldn't hear them. "We're supposed to be here to try and save Sirius… of course, we now know that he's not really here." They rushed back to the others, who were crowding around the orb Neville had found.

Ron looked around and seemed perplexed. "None of the rest of us are here…" He trailed off, still looking.

Cecilia reached out for it but Hermione's hand shot out to stop her. "I don't think you should touch it."

"It'll be fine," Harry assured her as his own hand reached past where Cecilia's and Hermione's have stayed frozen in place.

Nothing happened, but Hermione released Cecilia's hand and everyone moved in closer to see the orb, dully glowing in Harry's hand. But then, right behind them, a drawling voice spoke. "Very good, Potter. You could do so well as to listen to the _mudblood_ every once and a while." He spat at them. "Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

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**A/N: I plan to finish all the updating today, then get back to work the next chapter (10). Do not worry, I might even finish the chapter today and be able to update later too!**

**WD**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: DO I OW-! _NO! FOR THE LAST TIME YOU STILL DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! _What? *innocently* I was just gonna ask if I owned Canada.**

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Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointed directly at their hearts. Ginny gave a gasp of horror.

"Give it to me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up.

Cecilia remembered that they were outnumbered, two to one, but she knew they would get out of it. They did last time, they could again and with Harry and Cecilia more experienced than last time, they were sure to get everyone out safely.

"To me now, Potter." He demanded again.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, playing along although he already knew that Sirius was fine.

Several Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from amidst the other then said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows! Always!"

"Always." Echoed Malfoy softly and then continued louder, "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter. We don't want this to get too ugly."

"I want to know where Sirius is!"

"_I want to know where Sirius is!" _Mimicked the woman to his left as the Death Eaters closed in on Harry and the others, so close that the light from their wands dazzled Harry and Cecilia's eyes.

"You've got him." Cecilia said, jumping in to help Harry out, ignoring the rising panic in her chest that she knew was occurring for only because she knew what was coming next. "He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo." Mocked the woman again, this time in a baby voice. They felt Ron stir behind them.

"Don't do anything you'll regret, Ron," Cecilia muttered softly out of the corner of her mouth. "Not yet."

The woman laughed manically. "You hear her? _You hear her?_ Giving instructions to their followers like they actually plan on fighting us!"

"Oh, but you don't know the Potters as I do, Bellatrix." Malfoy whispered dangerously soft, not taking his eyes off the orb in Harry's hand. "They have a great weakness for heroics, these Potters do; the Dark Lord understands that about them. _Now give me the prophecy, Potter, or your little sister will get it!"_

He took a slow, dangerous step toward Cecilia. She saw Harry hesitate out of the corner of her eye. Malfoy caught this too and smirked at him.

"Harry, I can take care of myself, remember what happened. Don't give in; don't let him break you. Don't let this end the same way, please, Harry, I can't stand to lose him again." Cecilia whispered, no louder than a breath, to Harry.

Harry squared his shoulders and stood taller. "You better be right, Cici; you better take care of yourself." He whispered back.

"Aww, isn't that sweet? Brother-sister love." Bellatrix mocked again. "We will get that prophecy; either you hand it to us, Potter, or we make you give it up."

"Bellatrix, calm yourself." Malfoy snapped, glancing toward her for a fleeting moment and resting his eyes again on the orb in Harry's hands. "Potter, hand it over now, or we will start using our wands."

"Go on then. We can defend ourselves." Harry raised his wand in front of the prophecy at chest height and felt the others do the same.

They were tensed and ready for attack, but no strike came.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one will get hurt." Malfoy said coolly.

It was their turn to laugh. "Yeah, right. We give you the prophecy and you'll just let us skip off home, will you? Do you honestly expect us to believe that?" Cecilia stated and laughed along with the others but the moment of normalness was there and gone in a fleeting second.

The words were barely out of her mouth when the female Death Eater shrieked, _"Accio Porph—"_

Cecilia and Harry were ready for it though, and they both shouted, _"Protego!"_

"Oh, they know how to play, the little bitty baby Potter twins." She said, her mad eyes glaring through the slits in her hood and took another step closer, so close that she was almost touch them with the tip of her wand which had never been lowered from Cecilia's heart. "Very well, then—"

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Malfoy roared at the woman. "If you smash it—"

The woman stepped forward. Azkaban had hallowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making it gaunt and skull like, but it was alive with a feverish, fanatical glow. "You need more persuasion, perhaps?" She asked, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Very well— take his sister, that ought to help him give it up."

Cecilia felt everyone move in around her protectively. _'This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.' _She thought. _'It should be Ginny they're surrounding, not me.'_

Cecilia started to panic. _'I can't let them get hurt when I'm not the one that needs protected here.'_

She felt Harry relay the message to Hermione about smashing shelves. It was too early, but she knew that things had to be done differently this time if they wanted Sirius to live. She hadn't been listening but she already knew what was being said, Harry had just asked why Voldemort didn't go and get the prophecy himself.

"Get it himself?" Bellatrix shirked on a mad crackle of laughter, "You think you're funny, boy, don't you?" She glared at him. "The Dark Lord, walks into the Ministry of Magic, when they are soo sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors when, at the moment, they are wasting their time on my dear sweet cousin?"

"So he has you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" Harry said. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it — and Bode?"

"Very good, Potter, very good…" Malfoy said slowly. "The Dark Lord knows you are not unintell—"

"NOW!" Harry and Cecilia screamed together.

The seven of them yelled, _"REDUCTO!" _at the same time, sending the spells flying in seven different directions and exploding the shelves as they hit. The towering structure swayed as hundreds of glass spheres fell to the ground and burst. Pearly-white figures unfurled into the air above their shattered orbs and floated there, their voices echoing from who knew what long-dead past amid the torrent of crashing glass and splintered wood now raining down upon the floor—

"RUN!" Harry yelled as the shelves swayed again, raining more orbs down around them. He shoved his hand deep into the pocket of his robes and placed the orb there and quickly grabbed a handful of Cecilia's robes and pulled her away from the mess of Death Eaters and running students. A Death Eater lunged toward them and Harry elbowed him very hard in his masked face.

They found their way ahead clear and saw Ron, Ginny and Luna sprint ahead. _'No, we can't go this way again. I can't lead them to the room with the Veil. It has to be different this time, I have to make it different.' _Cecilia tugged Harry's hand, pulling him away from the way that led them to where they ended up before.

Harry caught on and gestured for the others to follow him, away from the path that would lead them to the room with the Veil. There was a door ahead. Where it led, Harry wasn't sure, but it had to be better than the room with the Veil.

He pulled the others through the door, not letting go of Cecilia along the way, afraid to lose her. Harry turned sharply after he entered, not bothering to look around the room first, and slammed the door shut after he knew everyone was inside.

Cecilia gave a sharp intake of breath and Harry turned to see what had happened.

_"NO!"_

**A/N: Another chapter revised.! :D I'm working hard-be proud!**

**WD**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You there? I have grown to like you, though you only make me sad by saying I don't own Harry Potter. _Yes, I'm here. And before you ask, NO, you do not own Harry Potter OR Canada._ Oh, okay, then never mind...**

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It was exactly the same as they remembered it, high ceilinged and void of anything but the archway. Cecilia looked at it. It was just as daunting and terrible as she remembered it was.

"No, no! We can't be here!" Harry fell to his knees. Dry sobs shaking his body. He slammed his fist down on the floor repeatedly.

"Harry? Harry!" Cecilia moved closer and kneeled next to him. "Harry, you have to stop this. You can't break down, not now. I can't protect them on my own; I need your help. I refuse to let them get hurt but I can't do on my own."

Harry sat up, despair showing clearly in him eyes. "I know. It's just, I tried so hard to get away from here, and yet, we're still here. I thought I had it right this time." He sounded as defeated as he looked.

She leaned closer to Harry and whispered, "Harry, I know. But you can't give up just because something didn't go the way you wanted it to. You thought things were bad before; they're not going to be any easier this time around either. I didn't want to end up here either, but we did. There's nothing we can do about it now but try and get everyone out alive. Including Sirius. We can do it. I know we can, because together, we're unbeatable."

She pulled Harry from the floor and watched at the door was blasted back by a Death Eater. Black smoke swirled around them as the Death Eaters fled into the room, surrounding them. He squeezed her hand and let go to turn to the others.

They stood mere feet away from the veil, back-to-back, wands pointed at a Death Eater across from them. "Don't break ranks, no matter what." Harry whispered behind him to the others.

There were silent nods in return and acknowledgement. "Give us the damn prophecy, Potter. We don't have much time before we _take_ it from you." Came the soft, deadly voice of Lucius Malfoy.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we can't do that." Cecilia replied sarcastically.

"You think you're funny, don't you, little girl? Well, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but you're in no position to try and be funny." He paused, looking skeptically at her robes, the Slytherin symbol standing out against the black material, his head tilted ever so slightly. "Of course… it doesn't have to be this way for you."

"Don't even _think_ about it!" Harry snapped at him vehemently. "She would never join you." Her eyes traveled to Harry's and they knew they were both thinking the same thing. Thinking about _before, _after he left her at Hogwarts for seventh year, when she had been forced to join the Death Eaters as part of her being a Slytherin.

"You don't know that, Potter. Have you ever thought to look at life through the eyes of your sister? Always coming in second best next to the Boy-Who-Lived. Am I right, or am I right?" They both turned to look at Cecilia, who didn't take her eyes off of Harry. She gave a barely perceptible nod, a slight shrug of her shoulders, and a sorry look.

"How come you never told me?" Harry looked hurt.

"And be a bad sister? What could I do about it? Tell you not to be the Boy-Who-Lived? Tell you to find another twin? Harry, I've told you before, I would never change things. I loved them just the way they were."

"STOP IT! WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Screeched Bellatrix, sneering at them.

"Too right you are, Bella. Are you going to hand it over?" The twins stood tall, their gazes never wavering from the eyes of Malfoy. "Have it your way," He paused, smirking and then continued, "then we attack."

They were prepared for it, but it still came as a heavy blow. The spells lit up the surrounding area. Harry lunged for Bellatrix immediately. '_Don't do anything stupid, Harry!' _Cecilia screamed in her head as she dove after Malfoy.

Her right fist came in contact with his face, knocking the mask askew, covering his eyes. "_Stupefy!" _She hurriedly shouted at a masked Death Eater that was about to send the killing curse toward Hermione. She knew it was redundant, because she knew Hermione well enough to be able to say she could get out of almost anything, but Cecilia was too worried about everyone to care.

A purple light streaked past, near her face. _'Coming from Malfoy, no doubt.'_ She reached up to touch her cheek where the spell grazed it and her hand came back covered in blood. She raised her wand and pointed it directly at Malfoy's heart and shouted, only loud enough for him to hear: "Harry, NO! Don't break the prophecy!" And like she knew he would, his head turned with a terrified expression to where Harry stood, battling with Bellatrix.

He stared horrified for only milliseconds before he realized his mistake and turned to try and block the spell that was headed straight for his heart. He was only a fraction of a second too late and he fell to the ground, unconscious. The last thing he saw before darkness was her triumphant smirk.

It was then that smoke filled the room. Only, it was too white to be smoke. It wasn't until the human shapes started forming that Cecilia realized that it was the Order members flooding the room.

The Death Eaters were outnumbered by the Order and, one by one, they fell. The image that met Cecilia's eyes when the smoke cleared was radically different from before. Harry stood, breathing heavily, over Bellatrix with his wand pointed directly at her neck. Her hands were and ankles were bound together by a thin silver rope and she looked about to pass out. Harry had a steady look to his face, but a triumphant sparkle to his eyes.

Cecilia stood over Malfoy, her wand limp at her side, blood pouring down her face from the gash that went from below her right eye to her ear. She smiled slightly when she caught sight of Harry standing over Bellatrix. _'Finally_,' She thought, _'revenge for killing Sirius the first time around.'_

Luna was helping Ginny stand on a swollen ankle that looked broken. There was a limp, masked Death Eater at their feet. Hermione and Ron stood by Neville, who had a broken wrist by the looks of it, on the other side of the chamber. The Death Eater that Hermione had been fight but Cecilia had stunned lay in a heap near the veil. Some Order members held Death Eaters, alive or unconscious, at their feet, most had bound their ankles and hands together in the fashion the Harry had.

There were a few Order members standing that had been without a Death Eater to fight, including Sirius. He looked at Harry and Cecilia in awe. "Harry, you took down Bellatrix by yourself? And Cici, you got Malfoy? I think you two have been holding out on us with your dueling skills. Why don't—"

The rest of his words were drowned out by the sounds of several more Death Eaters entering the chamber. The Death Eaters broke free of their bindings and jumped up, prepared to fight again.

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**A/N: Another chapter done! Only 5 more to go!**

**WD**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: _GUESS WHAT! _What? _YOU OWN HARRY POTTER! _FOR REAL? _No. I was only kidding. _Jerk. _I'm a part of you..._ True... Now I know where you got it from! **

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Cecilia and Harry looked to each other, confused. "How did they know!" Cecilia yelled across the room to Harry, referring to the extra Death Eaters that should not have known about their fellow Death Eaters being beaten as she tossed curses toward the nearest Death Eater.

"I don't know, but we gotta help." He replied between sending spells flying towards Death Eaters. Cecilia turned to the closest clump of Death Eaters and sent spells flying at random, praying that they hit their targets.

Something caught her eye. Ginny and Luna were fight four Death Eaters at one time and were easily being beaten. "NO!" She shouted as she turned her attention to them. She managed to bring down two of the four before the spell hit her from her other side, the stunning spell. She fell, feeling content that she managed to save another two lives.

Harry saw his sister fall. A raging fury filled him and he turned to the ones that caused it. Hitting them all with spells wasn't enough, but he knew it would have to do because he was being attacked by more Death Eaters. They surrounded him, knocked his wand out of his hand and pushed him to the ground. "Give us the prophecy, Potter. We don't want to hurt your sister because the Dark Lord favors her, but we will if we must. The Dark Lord wants the prophecy more then you sister's loyalty."

"Where is it?" Malfoy asked vehemently. Harry didn't move to take it out of his pocket, but instead remained on his knees on the floor. "Well, perhaps we can get Weasley or Granger to convince you otherwise." The Death Eaters backed away revealing all his friends lying on the floor. They were all moving slightly, except for the one he wanted to see moving the most, to be assured she was alive. His sister. She was lying on the floor, unmoving with her face turned toward him. She had a deep gash under her right eye and had streaks of blood running down her cheek and tares in her robes.

Everyone but the three Death Easters around him and the D.A. members had managed to work their way to the Atrium. Two of the Death Eaters walked toward the spot where Ginny and Hermione sat on the floor with their hands and feet tied together. They bent down and dragged the half-conscious girls to their feet, their wands pointed directly at their necks.

"No!" Harry said as they dragged the girls closer.

"Oh, my." Malfoy said, shaking his head in a disappointed way. "You just have to play hero all the time, don't you?"

"NO!" Harry repeated more forcefully.

"No?" Questioned Malfoy. "Then give me the damned prophecy, Potter!"

"No!" Harry repeated again stubbornly as he stood, picking up his wand from next to him and pointing it directly at Malfoy's heart. "No one else is going to get hurt here but you."

"Oh, is that so, Potter?" He mocked. They were laughing at the mere thought of Harry beating them in a fight, much less a fight with 3 against 1. They didn't see it coming. Harry shot a stunning spell directly at the tallest of the three sending him tumbling to the floor.

The other 2 didn't comprehend what was happening before the fat, short one was tied and unconscious on the floor. Harry stood breathing heavily, wand pointed at the remaining Death Eater. The air was so tense; you could feel it from a distance.

Harry and Lucius Malfoy were circling each other, eyes locked, wands unwavering. It was a breaking point in the tension. They started to shout their spells at the same time. "Protego!" Was shouted by Harry and "Crucio!" by Malfoy. The green and purple lights met midway.

There flashes of light and random bangs like that of fireworks. A thick smoke filled the air and Harry fell to his knees, his wand arm flying up to protect his head. Gradually, the smoke cleared and Harry sat up, wand pointed in front of him, prepared for attack… but none was needed.

Lucius had collapsed on the floor, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth. Harry smirked and quickly fled to the Atrium to help the others. The sight that he saw when he entered he gasped.

There were so many Death Eaters. Some masked and hooded still others that had been fighting longer were not. Most were just standing in a lose circle around someone he could not make out from his hidden position. The Order members were scattered around the room with various Death Eaters above each of them, wands pointed directly at their necks, hearts or pressing into their backs.

A scream of pain from an all too familiar voice brought him back. Harry moved stealthily around the edge of the Atrium to a spot where he could peek over the shoulders of the Death Eaters in front of him. In the center of the ring of Death Eaters stood Voldemort with his wand pointed directly at Lupin's back where he laid face down withering on the floor.

"Tell me where Potter is." Voldemort said in a low voice filled with vehement.

Lupin sat convulsing on the floor. He waited until he could sit up before he responded. "I have already told you, I don't know. I left before I saw where he went."

"I think you are lying to me, to protect the boy." Harry stood taller and walked out quickly. "Crucio!" Voldemort murmured before he saw Harry.

Lupin fell to the ground again in pain but it instantly subsided as Voldemort relinquished the spell. "Well, well, well, Potter, always the hero, aren't you?" Voldemort passed Lupin on the floor, completely forgotten. "Never mind that, where's the prophecy?"

Harry was thinking quickly. "I dropped it in the other chamber. It broke." He lied easily, smoothly. By now, all the Death Eaters had entered the Atrium and were watching the showdown.

"I think you are lying to me, Potter," Voldemort started, "but, no matter," but he never got to finish.

People flooded the Atrium at the same time. Many Ministry members along with most aurors, Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic himself. You could literally see everyone, Death Eater and Order members alike, turn to the sudden noise. They all sucked in a breath, both sides, and let it out at the same time.

The Minister and Voldemort locked eyes before Voldemort turned to his Death Eaters and Disapparated on the spot. The aurors reacted immediately, stunning any near Death Eaters before they could get away.

The sound of people Disapparating filled the room as Death Eaters realized they needed to get out. The Atrium cleared and sounds faded and on the floor Death Eaters were scattered, among them, behind Harry, Wormtail lied on the ground unconscious with blood trickling down his face.

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**A/N: AND CHAPTER FIVE IS COMPLETE! YAY! Only a few more chapter to go and I shall be able to write new stuff again! Thanks for bearing with me here, I know it's rather boring. Review please? *Insert puppy dog eyes***

**WD**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: _Helloooooo? Anyone hoooome? Ok, look, I'm sorry about last chapter! I was only kidding! You don't own Harry Potter, and I realize that it is not something I should joke about! Please talk to me?_**

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Cecilia stirred slightly. She had a pounding headache but shocked to find that she was still alive. She had figured that the Death Eaters would have killed her at their first opportunity. She sat up with her hand on the back of her throbbing head, eyes scrunched. A groan escaped her lips. Blinking a few times against the sudden bright light, she slowly stood up, searching for her wand.

She spotted her wand a few feet away from where she stood and she quickly strode toward it and scooped it into her hand. Cecilia glanced around the room. Several of her friends lay unconscious on the floor next to 2 Death Eaters, clearly unconscious. Satisfied that there was no form of movement from the Death Eaters, she hastily exited the chamber to the Atrium where she assumed everyone had traveled to.

There were masses of Death Eaters in the Atrium. Cici hadn't realized how many had traveled to the ministry on this particular night. They were scattered around the room in clusters, and in the middle of each group was one or two members of the Order of the Phoenix. The Order was easily out numbered. One of the nearest Death Eaters looked familiar.

It was just the silhouette of him she though she recognized. He was shorted than most of the other Death Eaters and was hunched in the back. His hair was sticking out in odd angles, was slightly discolored and he had the general air of un-cleanliness around him. Somewhere deep in the back of her mind she already knew who it was. The mousey appearance he gave off triggered it in her mind; triggered a memory.

Suddenly she wasn't a 17-year-old girl in her 15-year-old body, she was 13 again. Standing in the Shrieking Shack back at Hogwarts, thousands of miles away from where she was, pulled in by the familiarity of a person who she could not yet name.

_He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabber's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again__**. (a/n: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban pg. 366 American Scholastic paperback edition)**_

"Pettigrew." Cici whispered vehemently, a fire of hatred flaring to life in her eyes. She raised her wand silently and pushed it directly into the middle of his back far harder than was necessary. "My Godfather is innocent, Peter, and no one is going to believe that without proof. You killed my parents and now you are going to pay the price." Cici whispered in his ear, smirking when she felt his stiffen in fear. He knew there was no way out of it. "_Stupefy!" _She put about three times more energy than was needed behind the spell but felt a great satisfaction when he fell to the ground, limp, with blood trailing down his face.

She looked down at him, kicking his wand out of his hand. "Filthy scum." She shook her head and spat on him. At that moment, the Atrium became flooded with people. Ministry workers and aurors streamed in from the fireplaces and many with the sudden 'pops' that came with Apparition. The latter took a deep breath simultaneously, anticipating what would happen next. Voldemort turned and disappeared with a 'pop' and many Death Eaters tried to follow suite but the aurors jumped into action at that moment.

They threw stunning spells at the nearest Death Eaters before they had a chance to free themselves. Cecilia and Harry jumped into action too. Stunning a few Death Eaters apiece before they all had cleared out. The Order members strode around, several to Harry and others to help the aurors tie each Death Eater up. Among the Order members that remained was Sirius Black.

Each of his hands rested on Harry's shoulders and even from the far distance between Cici and them, she knew he was making absolutely certain Harry was all right. He was in the middle of saying something when he spotted Cecilia. He gave a jerky nod in her direction and Harry turned and they both started walking toward her, still talking. But that was when an auror spotted Sirius.

"Oi! It's Sirius Black!" One shouted and in seconds Sirius was splayed on the floor with aurors standing over him, wands pointed directly at his head. "Don't move." Said the same one that had pointed him out to the others.

'_Think fast, Cici, he can't be sent back to Azkaban for a crime he did not commit!' _Cecilia held her hand to her forehead, her mind a jumbled mess as she tried to think of a way out for Sirius. "HOLD IT!" She yelled with so much authority that everyone stopped and looked around for the source. She stumbled through the unconscious bodies that littered the floor and worked her way to the group of aurors and Minister. "Sir," she started, looking directly at the minister, "you can't do this!"

"Ah, but I can and I am, Miss. Potter. Your Godfather or not, he's an escaped convict from Azkaban and must be brought to justice. Now don't butt into matters that are far beyond a fifth year student." The minister responded turning his nose up and looking down at her.

"But he's innocent and—"

"No he is not! Do you not want the man that killed your parents brought to justice, Miss. Potter?" By now everyone had stopped to watch the banter between the Minister and Cici. "And I will not stand for your foolishness."

"I do, but I refuse to let you put an innocent man back in Azkaban. I can prove his innocence, sir, just give me the chance!"

She looked at him with pleading eyes. Everyone was holding his or her breath, waiting to see how the minister would react. "Very well. Make it quick though." His tone was sharp and she knew she had little time.

"The proof is here, sir, in this very room." She started as she turned and started making her way back to Wormtail's body. "The man Sirius supposedly killed is in this room right now. The real person that betrayed my parents to Voldemort is here!" She said, her voice rising so that everyone could hear her. She reached his body and pointed her wand at it, lifting his body and the hand that was missing the finger for all to see. "Peter Pettigrew."

People gasped. "THIS PROVES NOTHING!" The minister shouted, his face turning red. "All this can prove is that a man that was thought to be caught up in the bloody rampage of Mr. Black somehow managed to escape and hide himself for all these years. Give up, you've lost little girl, he's not innocent."

"But she's telling the truth, sir!" Harry interjected. "Give Pettigrew veritaserum, ask him what happened the night my parents died. Where he resided those 12 long years and what happened that night two years ago. You'll find he's been in faithful service to Voldemort all these years and he was the one that helped bring him back last year."

"With all due respect, Minister, it wouldn't hurt to try. Just to be sure. You don't want to send an innocent man to jail." Dumbledore said, walking forward.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." The minister said reluctantly. He turned to the aurors surrounding Sirius. "Take them both up to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; they should have the veritaserum there. We will question them both under it." Several aurors followed his orders immediately and those remaining started to gather the Death Eaters and Disapparated with them, Cecilia guessed, to Azkaban. Harry, Cecilia and Dumbledore followed closely behind Sirius and Wormtail. They were going to get Sirius out of this.

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**A/N: And another chapter is revised! Isn't the minister a jerkface! I never liked him anyway. Anywhoo, I'm very close to being done! Thanks for reading!**

**WD**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: _Are you don shunning me yet? _I can't really shun you, you're in my mind... _Well, someone's slightly insane then. _Oh well, what do I have to live for if not Harry Potter?**

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There were several people in the room. Sirius, Wormtail, Dumbledore, Harry, Cecilia and others from the ministry. An official looking person introduced himself as Jason and said he was going to be remaining in the room with them during the interrogations to make sure noting went amiss. He and Dumbledore were talking in hushed tones while Cici and Harry were talking together.

"So, we go back to Hogwarts. Ask if we can talk in private and then…we disappear? Just like that?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, it sounds simple, but no ones gonna want to leave the two of us alone. Not after this." Cici pointed out.

"True, but they can't crowd us if they can't find us!" Harry replied after thinking it through for a moment. "We do have Dad's cloak."

"Oh, Harry," Cecilia sighed, pushing her sleeves up. "What would we do without you?"

"Hey, enough with the sarcasm!" Harry interjected, his eyes looking downward. He started to speak again, but something caught his eye and made him stop dead. Cecilia's hands had been twined together in her lap and Harry had clear view of her left arm. The arm branded with the Dark Mark. "Oh my God! Cici! Your arm!"

Cecilia had just enough time to look down, be utterly shocked and pull her sleeve back down before everyone else looked over at Harry's sudden outburst. "Good going Harry, warn the entire room I'm technically a Death Eater will you!" She whispered through her teeth. "Oh, it's all fine; just found another cut is all!" She smiled until the last person looked away satisfied with her answer and then glance at Harry. "So, Dark Marks travel through time too. Great. I was hoping to be rid of it. For a fresh start."

"It's ok, Cici, we'll find a way. I promise."

"Don't make promises you cannot keep, Harry."

"Ok everyone," Jason started, clapping his hands for the attention of everybody in the room. "We will start the interrogations with Pettigrew, then Black, followed by Dumbledore, Miss. Potter and last Mr. Potter. If you'll please be quiet, we will begin." The room fell silent as they waited.

An auror came forward with Pettigrew and place him in the single chair facing the crowd. Waving his wand, the auror slowly backed up as Pettigrew awoke. He headed toward Cecilia. "You cast the spell that knocked him out, correct?" Cici nodded. "It was very powerful, I had to use twice as much energy as I normally do to wake him." He studied her for a moment, his head tilted. "You would make a good auror." He nodded slightly in goodbye as he backed away.

"Thanks." She muttered as he backed up. But she soon focused her attention on the slumped form sitting at the interrogation table. He stirred slightly and lifted his head slowly.

"Whaaa?" He slurred out, squinting and rubbing his eyes. "Where am I?"

The Minister moved forward in a manner that could only be described as strutting. "You are Peter Pettigrew, correct?"

"Yes." He replied in a short, clipped tone that proved he was under the influence of veritaserum unwillingly.

The only people that remained in the room were Harry, Cecilia, Dumbledore and Sirius. Jason was lurking in the corner of the room, ready to jump into action should Peter try anything funny. All rolled their eyes at the first question. "Ok, let us start with something simple. Were you a Death Eater 15 years ago, before You-Know-Who's downfall?"

"Yes; I still am and always will be!"

"Are you the one that assisted You-Know-Who in his return last year and the one the killed Cedric Diggory the day of the Third Task in the Triwizard Tournament?"

Pettigrew was looking everywhere in the room but at the 6 surrounding him. You could tell he was trying not to say anything more that would further dig his grave. "Yes," He started after a short delay, "I was the one that preformed the ceremony that brought the Dark Lord back and killed the boy who needn't have died that day, had the plan gone accordingly."

"Very well. That brings us to the night James and Lily Potter were murdered. Were you not the secret-keeper for the Potters? The one who then informed You-Know-Who of their where-abouts?"

"I was their secret–keeper. James had told me Sirius wished it to be me. I wanted safety in the crumbling world, and safety was found only with the Dark Lord, on his side. I wanted in so I found a way. Give him the where-abouts of the Potter family and I was ensured freedom in the new world. Safety. What I so craved."

"Yes, ok, please explain what happened that night. With Sirius Black."

"Sirius was the only one that knew I was their new secret-keeper. He knew it had to have been me that told the Dark Lord. He hunted me down. I ran; I tried to get to safety before he got to me so I did not have to do what I did, but he found me first. So I did what I had to do to gain safety for myself. While making a scene, I cut off my finger and left it there, then blew up any surrounding muggles or wizards that could have heard the story clearly and transformed into a rat. I then found a nice safe home with the Weasley family and ended up with Ron in his first year and who should befriend him but Harry Potter; the very reason all of this ever started!" By the end of the mini-speech, he sounded hysterical and was screeching.

"Very well, Mr. Pettigrew, that is all I need from you. It is clear you are guilty of all crimes accused of you by Miss. Potter. Mr. Black, if you'll take a seat, we'll begin shortly."

Sirius shuffled foreword. Sitting down, he calmly took the veritaserum, knowing there was nothing that he could possibly be guilty of now the Pettigrew had confessed. He sat with his head held high and confidently.

"Did you refuse to be the secret-keeper for the Potters and convince them to have Pettigrew be it?" The Minister jumped into the interrogation.

"I started as their secret-keep, but yes, I figured Voldemort would have guessed that I was and I convinced James and Lily to have Peter be the secret-keeper instead. I thought it would keep them safe. I was sadly mistaken." Sirius said, his eyes downcast in regret and shame.

"Are you currently or have you ever been within the ranks of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters?" The Minister leaned forward ever so slightly, expecting him to say yes.

"No. I have been against him from the start. Always a part of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Very well," the Minister stated after a short, disappointed pause. "Explain your version of the night the Potter's died."

"I had been out on a mission for the Order when the news of James and Lily's deaths reached me. After the general shock disappeared, I calmed enough to realize who had to have been the one to betray their where-abouts to Voldemort: their secret-keeper, which everyone believed to be me. The only ones at that point that knew Peter was the new secret-keeper was myself, Peter, James, Lily and Dumbledore; therefore everyone figured _I_ was the one that betrayed them. I was blinded by anger. I set myself up. I tracked Peter, he was running, but I was faster and caught up to him. We got into a screaming match. I should have realized he was planning something, but I was so angry I didn't pay attention; I should have known what Peter was going to do. The next thing I knew, he had his wand out and was whispering a spell, the surrounding people were blown up, Peter had disappeared and I was being arrested."

Sirius had his head in his hands; regret pouring off him in waves. "It was all my fault they died. If I hadn't insisted that Peter be the secret-keeper, they'd probably still be alive!" Cecilia could sense that he was crying now, never having had the chance to fully grieve for the deaths of 2 of his closest friends.

"Yes, okay then. That is all." The Minister looked slightly disappointed. "I do not feel the rest of you will need to testify, I believe that Mr. Black and Mr. Pettigrew have given enough proof. You are all free to go, except for you of course, Mr. Pettigrew. I find sufficient evidence against you to prove you guilty of the deaths of Lily and James Potter, on top of the face that you admitted to being a Death Eater. And the death of Cedric Diggory you are also guilty of."

Sirius stood on shaky legs, tears still silently falling freely down his face. He walked over to Harry and Cecilia. "I'm so sorry." He embraced them in a hug, holding them close. "I blame myself."

"It's not your fault, Sirius." Harry said pulling away.

"We've known the whole story since 3rd year. We've never once blamed you, don't go blaming yourself now." Cecilia said, also pulling away.

He smiled. "You two have such confidence in me. Thank you." They nodded and he placed his arms around their shoulders. "Let's just get back to Hogwarts." Dumbledore led the three of them out the door with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

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**A/N: And the revising continues! So close to being done! Please review? I live for reviews-so that means I'm pretty much dead because I have not gotten many reviews lately. Please? (:**

**WD**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: -I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all my readers that have stuck with me through this entire story from the beginning, I know there aren't many of you, but there are some. I would not have made it this far without all of you, so thank you. I know this is short, but I have my reasons. **

**~Please, read and enjoy, I'll try and update sooner this time. (: ~**

**To those who have already read this, scroll down to the next bar across the screen, it changes to Cecilia. I just felt this was too short so I added some more to it. Thanks and enjoy!**

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The party entered the Great Hall about a half hour after they left the Ministry of Magic. The rest of the people that had been at the ministry were in the Hall being fussed over by Madame Pomfrey. Neville had his arm in a sling and Hermione supported a bandage around her upper arm. Those seemed to be the worst injuries of the group.

The instant everyone spotted the small group entering the Hall; they jumped up, bombarding them with questions. "What happened? Is Pettigrew being put away? Are you guys alright? Is Sirius free now?" and questions of the like.

"Settle, settle. I shall try to answer all your questions." Dumbledore started, waiting until everyone sat, including Harry, Cecilia, and Sirius, and then continued. "Now, Pettigrew testified against himself. He admitted all the crimes he committed under the influence of veritaserum. The Sirius goes and retells his versions of the stories and proves them to match Pettigrew's thus proving Pettigrew guilty of all accusations and Sirius's innocence. Sirius is free."

"Now, before you ask more questions," Dumbledore continued without a pause, not wanting to interrupted, "let them get healed and some sleep. I suggest you all do the same. Goodnight." He walked out of the hall, still smiling.

Harry and Cecilia glanced to each other, they should wait until everyone had gone to sleep; it was safer that way, and they wouldn't have to lie.

Madame Pomfrey had finished inspecting them and declared everyone free to go off to bed. Cecilia 'accidentally' bumped into Harry as they started on their separate ways and left a small slip of paper in his hand. "Night, Harry." She walked off to the Slytherin common room alone, shoulders hunched, and her hands deep in her pockets.

Harry glanced back at his sister. She looked so alone. Howwas she sorted into Slytherin? She, the most innocent, loyal, sweetest, trustworthy girl he had ever met? She would do anything to protect her friends and family before she thought about herself; a quality not found in most Slytherins'. Arriving at the Gryffindor common room, he waved his friends to bed and told them to not wait up for him; he wanted time to think.

He glanced at the piece of paper in his hand; it was a quickly scribbled note:

Meet me at midnight in the room of hidden things, we'll go from there.

Love, Ice

Harry smiled at the use of their old nicknames. She was Ice, he was Fire. He closed his fist around the note and tossed into the fire in the Gryffindor common room while his friends drifted off to their rooms. He watched the fire burn for a long time, contemplating everything that had happened to him and Cecilia the last 24 hours. They figured out he and Cecilia were horcruxes, met their 'deaths', woke up back in time 2 years, and saved their Godfather from another untimely death. "I'd say that was pretty successful for one day." He whispered lowly to himself as he stood and walked up the stairs to his dorm to gather his things; he wouldn't be returning again.

He stood in the doorway of the 5th year dorm debating what he would need to take with him. He grabbed his school bag off of the chair next to his bed and emptied it of his old school books and started rummaging through his trunk for his emergency stash of money and placed it in the bottom of the bag along with miscellaneous things (such as quills, parchment, inkwells etc.) a few changes of clothes, his toothbrush, the Marauders' Map, and a black traveling cloak. He picked up a photo album of his friends and family at the last moment and looked at it longingly, knowing he could not take it because he knew it would be noticed as missing.

Just after 11:45 and one last glance around the room, he grabbed his Invisibility cloak and headed out the door, his bag slung over his shoulder, and started towards the Room of Requirement, determination in every stride. Determination to save the lives of everyone else. All the innocents that died for himself and Cecilia.

No one was going to die this time around. Not on his account.

No one.

* * *

Cecilia tiptoed into the dorm of the 5th year Slytherin girls. Luckily, they were all lazy bums and fast asleep. She walked carefully to her bed on the opposite side of the room and started gathering the things she would be able to take with her. She gathered spare clothes, a plain cloak, a picture of the Potter family and a few of her items from the bathroom and placed them into a small messenger bag she used for school.

Cici was in and out of her dorm as fast as possible, not wanting to risk her roommates waking and asking questions. She slouched on the uncomfortable green couch in the Slytherin common room, her bag resting next to her. She started reflecting on what the reactions of a few people would be to her and Harry's disappearance.

Hermione and Ginny would for sure try and blame themselves and definitely cry themselves senseless. Ron would be there, trying to comfort them while he dealt with his own self blame and his guilt. She somehow wished they could let the Light side know their plan. But there was no way they could.

For everyone to believe them dead or beyond saving was somewhat good. Not good in the sense that she liked the fact she will hurt the ones she loves, but good because if she and Harry failed, their deaths would not be as hard to accept if everyone believed them dead already. It would just be final confirmation. But then her thoughts drifted to the one who would be effected most of all.

Draco Malfoy. Her best friend since day one of finding out that she was a wizard. He always accepted her, even when he found out she was related to "Harry Freaking Potter, the boy freaking wonder,' exactly as Draco had put it when he found out. "But I still want to be friends. You are the first person I have ever opened up this much to, and well…I like having someone to talk to." He was always there; when everyone in Slytherin pushed her away for being related to 'the Enemy' and being in Slytherin and then by everyone else for being related to 'the Savior' and being sorted into Slytherin. She still remembered the harsh words of everyone's shock when the Sorting Hat shouted out 'Slytherin' with unyielding certainty. "_What? _The-Boy-Who-Lived's _TWIN_ sister? _Slytherin!" _The Slytherins' were just as, if not more so unhappy at the Sorting Hat's decision, most thinking it had made some mistake. But there was no mistake, they realized, after the first few days when she confronted them quite rudely about their problems with her.

The clock chimed 11:40 and shook Cici from her memories. She stood, slung her bag over her shoulder, placed a heavy concealment charm over herself and set out, never once faltering in her strides.

She was on a mission. No one else was going to die in this war on her count.

No one.

* * *

**A/N: Hey all! So sorry this was SO short. I just felt I needed to update and explain why its been so long. well, 1) my muse has been REALLY slow lately. That ALWAYS makes thing bad. 2) Well, i started a sport for school and didn't have the time or energy to write with the sport and all my school work and finals and the state tests etc. 3) I didn't have my computer for about 2 months partly because of my sister so she'd study for her SAT and 4) now, when we finally got the computer back, EVERYTHING was gone. This chapter was almost complete and twice as long but I lost it all so I had to start over.**

**Well, things have finally calmed as the first month of my summer vacation ends. So now I'm hoping I will be able to keep up with this when band comes around again.**

**Thanks for sticking with me through all of this. I can't believe in 2 months, I'll have had my fanfiction account for a year. Man, time FLYS. and this story was started almost 8 months ago and I know there are some readers that have been there from the beginning. To you all, thanks a lot. It means everything to me to know you all have stuck with me for so long.! (:**

**Also, I'm in need of a beta reader for this story. I know there are grammar or spelling things I have missed throughout this story and I think I owe it to you all to at lease have grammar and spelling correct. If anyone is willing to do so, are good with grammar/spelling and are ok with waiting a while for an update then send me a message and I'll try and get back to you. **

**Now, to end my annoying long review: I did not need to revise this chapter much. Now, reviews are welcome! But not required. They will make the next chapter appear sooner, but hey, you wanna wait 3 months again, that's cool with me. ;D**

**WD**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: WHY COULDN'T I HAVE BEEN THE ONE WHO CAME UP WITH HARRY POTTER? _Whining and questioning will get you nowhere. Accept it and move on. _I can't. Harry Potter is too dear to me. _What if I got Canada for you? _CANADA! YAYAYAYAY!**

* * *

Harry and Cecilia arrived at the Room of Requirement at the same time and Cecilia lifted the charm off of herself when she arrived. Harry popped his head out from under the Invisibility cloak and gave a small smile to Cecilia as greeting, knowing it wasn't safe to talk until they got inside.

'_I need the room where everything's hidden.' _Cecilia repeated three times in her head as she paced in front of the wall, her red hair billowing at her pace. The door appeared and they rushed inside, closing the door fast. "So," Cici began, "where shall we start?"

"Well," Harry started slowly. "I think I should go to the Chamber of Secrets first to get some fangs from the Basilisk so we have something to destroy the Horcruxes with."

"That seems reasonable. But do you remember where the Diadem horcrux was? Even just a guess would help; this place is so huge it could take weeks to find it without magic, and I do not believe magic works on horcruxes."

"How about you try a summoning charm, and if it doesn't work, just start looking and I'll be back as soon as I can to help. I promise." Harry turned to go and swung the Invisibility cloak over him and the door opened and closed silently as he exited.

"Ok, c'mon, Cici, think." She started pacing.

"If I were Voldemort, where would I hide an object that contained a part of my soul? In plain sight? No, no, no. That'd be too obvious…maybe I'll just try a summoning charm, like Harry suggested." She spoke out loud to herself. "Accio Voldemort's horcrux: Ravenclaw's Diadem!" She shouted, squeezing her eyes in concentration and placing a lot of power behind the spell, desperately hoping her summon would work and save them the inevitable hours of search sure to follow if it did not.

Cici peeked open one eye, her hand outstretched, waiting. After a good 3 minutes and no movement, she turned her back, discouraged, and started searching the nearest pile of junk. She had been searching for a few moments when she heard it. It was a far off buzzing sound; the sound of an object flying toward her. She turned suddenly, mid-search, a random knee-high purple sock with yellow spots dangling from one hand and she saw it. It came rushing toward her in a silver-blue streak.

She reached out and using her Slytherin catcher skills she grabbed the Diadem out of the air. She looked at it in all its bluish-silver glory. She smiled in triumph at the powerful object in her hand but a grimace soon followed. Cici could feel the dark magic surrounding and being emitting from it.

She quickly set it down and sat a few feet away from it to await Harry's return away from its evil influence.

~xXx~

Harry stalked through the silent halls of Hogwarts with his destination in mind. He reached the restroom and looked about before slipping the cloak from his body. Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be found, probably up in the Prefects' bathroom, Harry thought.

He walked to the sinks and found the one with the snake engraved on the faucet and hissed 'open' in Parseltongue. Returning to the door to the bathroom, he placed a powerful repealing charm that would make anyone that came within fifty feet on the door would instantly forget what they were doing and instill the sudden need to return to their dorms.

Harry then paced back to the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and looked down again. Casting a cushioning charm on himself, he looked around, and jumped into the dark forbidding hole leading to the Chamber of Secrets. He landed with a soft thud on the hard ground, thankful of cushioning charms.

He stood. Things had been cleaned up and there were no bones littering the floor like there had been before. He continued through the several chambers until he reached the main one where the skeleton of the Basilisk lied, unmoving and forbidding. He stepped closer, remembering the last time he had been here; his death and the death of the woman he loved had seemed unavoidable back then. But they had both managed to pull through, with a little help, of course.

He pulled out his wand when he was close enough to reach out and touch the fangs and conjured a small bag. Making the bag float underneath a few fangs, he pointed his wand at the row of fangs above the bag he whispered a slicing charm and 4 fangs fell silently into the bag. He tied the bag with magic and shrunk it to fit in his pocket and continued on his way out, a small smile on his face.

He traveled through the chambers and out back into the bathroom and pulled the Cloak over himself again. He waited until the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets closed and set off for the Room of Requirement again, hoping his sister had had as much luck in finding the Diadem horcrux as he had in getting the fangs of the Basilisk.

* * *

**A/N: And the revising is complete! Too bad it is late where I live and I need to be up early for marching band tomorrow. So I really connot work on the next chapter much. Happy Fourth of July (Independence Day for America for you non-Americans.) And I hope you see many amazing fire works. **

**And if you're wondering: I KNOW THIS IS REALLY SHORT. But either I had to end it where I did, or go on for another 1,000 words or so. (Though I know some would have prefered that...) This is what I say: think about it this way: the next chapter is going to be way longer because there is a lot I will have to put into it.**

**Would you like a preview? Yes? Here you go:**

The screams died down, the air cleared again and the room drained of dark magic. Harry blinked a few times and what he saw shook him. Cecilia sat against a wall with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She was rocking back and forth, her head pressed to her knees.

Harry ran to her and crouched down. "Cici, are you okay! You look so pale!"

"H-H-Harry?" She asked, reaching out, needing the reassurance of her brother.

Harry pulled her into his arms and tried to calm her. "Shh. Its okay now, the horcrux is gone. Destroyed."

After several minutes, she finally calmed enough to stop shaking. "Cecilia," he started cautiously, "what happened after I left?"

**Does that make up for the shortness? I hope so. Review please!**

**WD**


	10. Chapter 10

Harry strolled through the castle halls at a slow pace. He didn't want to have to help Cecilia find the Diadem horcrux if she hadn't found it yet. He arrived ten minutes later at the wall where the door to the Room of Requirement appeared before him. Harry took a deep breath, hoping Cici had found the horcrux and slipped through the door.

Harry closed the door silently and was shocked, to say the least, at the amount of dark magic he could sense in the room and how it had gotten there in the short amount of time he had been gone. He reached out with his magical senses and found the source of all the dark magic, a medium sized object sitting on the floor not ten feet away. His wand held aloft, Harry crept closer, the dark foggy air thinning slightly, to inspect.

That's when he heard the voice.

"I'm right, Cecilia, you know I am, so do not deny it. You have always been second best, never _the_ best, not with Harry Potter as your twin brother." The voice was high pitched, but yet there was something deep and dark and forbidding about it. "Harry Potter." The person the voice belonged to spat as he said Harry's name. "The Boy-Who-Lived. The _Chosen_ One. The bloody _Savior_ of the wizarding world." You could hear the sneer in his voice. "Big deal! Together, Cecilia, you and I could become more than him. Become _better_. _We_ could be number one.

"All those who ever dared to think less of us Slytherins, Cecilia, they will lean their place because we are bet—" the rest of his sentence turned into a shriek as Harry plunged a basilisk fang deeply into Ravenclaw's Diadem multiple times over.

The screams died down, the air cleared again and the room drained of dark magic. Harry blinked a few times and what he saw shook him. Cecilia sat against a wall with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She was rocking back and forth, her head pressed to her knees.

Harry crouched down in front of her. "Cici, are you okay! You look so pale!"

"H-H-Harry?" She stuttered, reaching out, needing the reassurance of her brother.

Harry pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back soothingly. "Shh. Its okay now, the horcrux is gone. Destroyed."

After several minutes, she finally calmed enough to stop shaking. "Cecilia," he started cautiously, "what happened after I left?"

"Well," she started after another few minutes of trying to calm herself down, "I tried a summoning charm, like you suggested…:

_Cici peeked open one eye, her hand outstretched, waiting. After a good 3 minutes and no movement, she turned her back, discouraged, and started searching the nearest pile of junk. She had been searching for a few moments when she heard it. It was a far off buzzing sound; the sound of an object flying toward her. She turned suddenly, mid-search, a random knee-high purple sock with yellow spots dangling from one hand and she saw it. It came rushing toward her in a silver-blue streak. _

_She reached out and using her Slytherin chaser skills she grabbed the Diadem out of the air. She looked at it in all its bluish-silver glory. She smiled in triumph at the powerful object in her hand but a grimace soon followed. Cici could feel the dark magic surrounding and being emitting from it. _

_She quickly set it down and sat a few feet away from it to await Harry's return away from its evil influence. _

_Cecilia sat, glaring at the evil object. Not daring to take her eyes off of it in case it tried to do something to keep itself from its impending doom. She got lost in her thoughts and did not notice that the Diadem had started to glow a light blue. Then, seconds later, the light blue turned to a darker, deeper blue. After several more seconds, it became so blue, it was black._

_And then the figure started emerging from the black surrounding the small object on the floor._

_Tom Riddle appeared just as he had back in seconds year when he possessed Ginny and made her open the Chamber of Secrets; where Harry was hopefully on his way back from right now. He was tall, lean, lethal, just as she remembered him. His eyes, however, were a blood red. The only thing giving it away that he was not real was the faint bluish glow surrounding his slender body._

_Tom tilted his head to the side slightly, silently studying her. Cecilia sat, back straight, not breaking eye contact, not giving his the satisfaction of knowing she was cowering inside. That's just the way Slytherins were, what they did; hide their feelings and NEVER show weakness for a second._

_It was a long while until Tom finally broke eye contact and started speaking. "Cecilia Potter…" He whispered slowly, menacingly. "You pathetic excuse for a Slytherin." He sneered, his face turning dangerously beautiful. "You cannot claim you're from the house of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin. You see, Slytherin's are proud, cool, calm, collected, but you? You reek of Gryffindor bravery. Pfft, what a joke Gryffindors are, thinking bravery is going to help them when it __really__ counts._

"_You see, that was your parents' mistakes. Trying to hold me off was foolish bravery in itself, but without wands…" He paused, waiting for a reply from her._

_He got one. "Well, Tom—"_

_He sharply cut across her next words. "You DARE call me by that filthy muggle name?"_

"_Yes, I DO dare, Tom Riddle, because…you're right." She saw momentary shock filter though his eyes but he quickly recovered and she continued. "You're right; I may have been a Slytherin back when I was sorted in my first year, but that was before I knew I had a brother. Before I knew what it was like to be loved and cared for and protected. I'm proud to be a Gryffindor at heart because, you know what? They are a thousand times better than any Slytherin…because a true Slytherin has never loved or been loved. They are selfish, stuck up and think they are so much better than anyone else. They are what I was raised to be…before I found who I really am and found my family."_

"_Family? What family? All I see is an attention hogging twin brother and dead parents. You call __**that**__ a family." He sneered in an effort to anger her. _

_It worked._

"_You know what, Riddle? I pity you. I pity you because you have never known family. Love. Friendship. I pity all Slytherins because to even be considered to be placed there, they, throughout their childhood, were never loved. It's always the same with them…cold and heartless, like their parents, like they were raised to be. Not many have changed. Only myself and Draco Malfoy have changed from my year. And Blaise Zabini chose to be in Slytherin just to continue his family's tradition. He was never like them."_

"_I don't need your pity. Nor do any true Slytherins. What I need is your loyalty. I can see that you're strong and while I don't like you, I respect that trait. I could use someone like you. And let's face it, Cecilia; you can never be first to anyone when you have your brother's shadow always looming over you. Always just the sister of Harry bloody Potter, never your own person."_

_Cecilia staggered backwards at his words. They were alarmingly true. So true it hurt. Her back hit a wall as she attempted to speak again. "I…NO. You…you're wrong." She tried to sound strong, but her words came out weak and shaky._

"_I'm right, Cecilia, you know I am, so do not deny it. You have always been second best, never _the_ best, not with Harry Potter as your twin brother." Cecilia sank to the floor as her knees gave out, her back still against the wall, supporting her. "Harry Potter." Cecilia pulled her knees to her chest and placing her hands over her ears, trying to block out his harsh words."The Boy-Who-Lived. The __**Chosen**__ One. The bloody __**Savior**__ of the wizarding world." She knew he was looking down on her in disdain and disgust and she didn't want to connect with his glare. "Big deal! Together, Cecilia, you and I could become more than him. Become __**better**__. __**We**__ could be number one." Cecilia knew it was a ploy. A plot. One just to get her to turn on her brother. But she was better than that. She knew better than to let herself fall into this trap._

"_All those who ever dared to think less of us Slytherins, Cecilia, they will lean their place because we are bet—"But he never finished his thought because he was cut off by a high pitched shriek filling the large room; his high pitched shriek. Cecilia was shaking from head to toe, rocking back and forth. And then she was pulled into Harry's comforting arms._

"Oh, Cici, you don't need to continue…I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone…I just didn't think you would find the Horcrux before I returned." Harry stopped her.

"No, Harry. It's my fault…I don't know why everything he said had such an effect on me." Cecilia replied, shaking her head slightly to clear her jumbled thoughts. "Anyway, it's getting closer to dawn every moment we stay here. We need to hurry." She stood and pulled Harry to his feet as well.

"Okay…but we need someone to cover for us here, Cici, which means we need to tell someone who we trust..." Harry trailed off.

"Dumbledore is a safe option…but we both know he'll try and stop us from going…"

"While that _is_ true, Cici, he's the only one we can trust." Harry reasoned as he slipped the Invisibility Cloak over himself and his sister. "We don't really have a choice." They walked out of the Room of Requirement together and headed towards Dumbledore's office.

* * *

**A/N: Hello all! Sorry it's been so long, but I've been really busy this summer. I just finished this chapter and wanted to get it up here before another day has passed...because it's August meaning band camp has begun. I know I will not be getting another update in at least a month. Reasons? These:  
1) This week I have four hours of band a day.  
2) This weekend I'm spending with a friend for her birthday.  
3) Next week I have 13 hours of band camp every day and then "Band Bonding" for three hours after.  
4) The week after another 4 hours of band camp the first three days of the week.  
5) Then we have those days where you get your schedule and locker and pictures. And we freshman have to take this test...which is crap.  
6) School begins that next Tuesday, and since it's my first year of high school, I'm sure it's going to take a little time to get used to it and homework (I'm in three honors (AKA: A.P.) classes.) and such.  
7) Band, every day after school. Need I say more?  
8) And the football games begin the 27th. Busy, busy me.**

**Bare with me until the next update please! It's probably not going to be until up until early September (hopefully!), which is why this chapter is longer than I normaly make them.**

**~WD  
**


	11. Chapter 11

Harry and Cecilia swiftly walked up the twisting stairs to Dumbledore's office, both under the invisibility cloak. They slipped through the door easily and let the cloak fall to the floor. As they expected, the room was empty and the portraits of the previous headmasters were all asleep. Or at least pretending to be. Cecilia placed a locking charm on the door as well as a charm that would let them know if someone was coming up the steps as Harry walked to the desk and shuffled through the drawers.

Cecilia joined her brother and started looking through the drawers on the opposite side of the desk that he was searching. They searched in silence for a while before Harry exclaimed; "I found it, Cici!" In his hand he held a small black diary. In silver lettering on the front was 'Tom M. Riddle'. Yes, that was definitely what they were looking for.

Harry placed it in the middle of the desk and sat in Dumbledore's chair. "Let's get this done." He gingerly opened the book, careful not to rip any of the already ruined pages to a place near the middle. He picked up a quill from the corner of the desk and dipped the tip in ink and started writing:

Professor,

It's the beginning of the end. The search is on.

Harry

Harry sat the quill down next to the book lightly, happy with his words. He then stood and let Cecilia sit in his place. She also picked the quill up, and began writing on the opposite page:

Professor Dumbledore,

Please help Ron, Hermione, Ginny and everyone else through this. I realize how much pain and suffering we're leaving behind.

Cecilia

Cecilia placed the quill back where Harry first picked it up from. She pulled out of her pocket the destroyed Diadem and set it down in the middle of the open book and arranged it so you could see both of their messages if standing directly over it. "Harry, what if he doesn't believe it's us who wrote this?"

"Well, is there anything we could leave to let him know it's really us or something?"

"Um, let's see…' She trailed off, searching through her bag and pockets and pulling random things out. On the desk now sat 3 pens, (much more reliable than quills, you know) a pack of gum, a few pennies, a few kunts and sickles. "Well, I think that's it...except…" She trailed off again and held up one last item from her bag: a small sphere with a dully glowing mist swirling inside. "I think this shall work." She said happily.

She walked closer to the desk and placed the prophecy delicately inside the crown shaped Diadem. Standing back to admire their work, she smiled gravely. "Time to get going." She swept the contents from her bag back into it carelessly and unlocked the door. They slipped back under the invisibility cloak and headed toward the One-Eyed witch passageway that would lead them to the cellar of Honeydukes.

They climbed into the tunnel and took off the cloak and sealed the passage. It wouldn't do to have someone follow them. They strode through the tunnel in silence until they reached the cellar where they sat and started to get comfortable, waiting until mid day when the shop would be crowed and they could slip out under the cloak easily.

"Now, next order of business: where are we going to go?" Harry asked once they became slightly comfortable leaning against some boxes of sweets.

Cecilia tapped her chin in thought for a moment. "Well, I've been thinking about that. We can't, obviously, stay at the Leaky Cauldron. And any muggle hotels are out of the picture as well, because we haven't any muggle money. Headquarters is out because now that Sirius is freed, he can stay there and come and go as he pleases…so…" She thought out loud.

"Yes…Well, I know this sounds lame, but I'd like to be near Godric's Hollow. So we can be near our parents' graves and our old home. But I still don't know how that helps us." Harry said dejectedly.

"Wait a moment…" Cecilia sat up suddenly. "Didn't that book Rita Skeeter wrote about Dumbledore say something about him living in Godric's Hollow? And since Dumbledore lives at Hogwarts and Abe at the Hog's Head, no one lives there anymore…do you think we could…?" She trailed off again. "We don't know where though…" She leaned back again and sighed sadly.

"No, no, no, I think you're on to something. He lived next to Bathilda Bagshot."

"Yes, but we don't know where she lives."

"Maybe _you_ don't, but I do." Harry smiled smugly. "I visited her with Hermione on the Christmas I was gone searching for Horcruxes. Of course, she was already dead by that time, but I thought it was her…turned out it was a glamour placed on Nagini so she could alert Voldemort if I visited Godric's Hollow."

Cecilia listened intently, never having heard the full story of Harry's adventures with Ron and Hermione before, not that he actually had had time back then. "Harry, all of that; the final battle, Snape's memories, sacrificing ourselves for everyone, it seems like a whole different life. I realize, in retrospect, it is, but it was only yesterday that we woke up in the Department of Mysteries. So much has happened already. We've changed so much already."

"I know, Cici, I know." Harry pulled his sister into a brotherly hug and spoke again, "But we cannot dwell on the past, we must always be looking forward."

"Oh, Harry, our past is technically the future. So it's not really looking back…"

Harry pulled away and playfully smacked his sister on the arm. "You know what I mean. It's out past now, because we aren't letting it be our future again. Only look ahead from here, and ahead there are only clear skies." At the moment a large thunder clap was heard and the morning sun rose and a headmaster was found looking down at empty bed in the Gryffindor dormitory with a small black book in his hand and pain is his eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, yes. I got this up sooner than I thought I would. I was on the computer until 4:30 am last night to finish this (I wrote the entire thing yester day) just so I could get it up before school started. So yes, school starts for us tomorrow. Ugh. I'm not exactly too thrilled. But hey, I don't have a choice right? Wish me luck, first day of high school.**

**~WD~**


	12. Chapter 12

The morning sun peaked over the horizon. One would have had trouble telling it was sunrise though, because of the dense sheet of rain pouring from above. The Hogwarts' castle was dark and gloomy as the teachers began to enter the Great Hall for breakfast. Albus Dumbledore paced the semi-empty hall quietly, restlessly awaiting the return of his spy. In his hand, he clutched the little black diary of one Tom Marvolo Riddle. In his other hand he held the barely distinguishable destroyed diadem horcrux. McGonagall, the Transfiguration professor, stood just outside the path of Dumbledore's pacing watching him with a worried expression, as the others were.

"Albus, what is wrong? Has something happened?" She anxiously awaited his reply. The other teachers moved nearer to hear what Dumbledore had to say when he stopped and faced her.

The doors suddenly burst open and a slightly worried Potions' Master strode swiftly into the hall. All heads were turned to him, but the only one he payed any attention to was the Headmaster's. "She's not there, Headmaster."

A pained expression flew across his face but was quickly replaced with determination. "Very well, thank you for checking, Severus." He turned to face his confused staff with a grave face. "Harry and Cecilia are missing."

After that statement, there was a full 5 seconds of complete and utter shocked silence and then shouts from all, mostly along the lines of, 'no,' 'the castle is too well protected,' 'we would have known,' or some sort of variation of those. "SILENCE." Dumbledore commanded.

Flitwick spoke up at the point. "Despite what you think, they could have found a way out. But it matters not _how_, but _why_. _Why_ would they run away, what reason do they have?"

Snape tore his suspicion filled eyes away from Dumbledore and turned to the other teachers. He knew something was up but Dumbledore didn't seem to want to explain. Snape watched, eyes narrowed, as the Headmaster carefully slipped the little black book and destroyed object into his robes and began speaking.

Each teacher turned to the Potions' Master in either anger or hope. Then the first students, all the early risers, started trickling into the hall for breakfast. The teachers quickly slipped their faces into happy and carefree, but strict faces. They all slipped into their seats at the head table and placed food on their plates, only to pick at it.

When the mail arrived, each teacher received a single piece of parchment:

_Meet me in teachers lounge after breakfast. We shall try to figure this out then. Not a word to the students, but I'm sure you already knew that._

_Albus_

Slowly the students left. Within the hour, most teachers and students had left. Only remaining were Dumbledore, McGonagall, two Ravenclaws, and a Gryffindor who had overslept and just barely had time to stuff food in his face before breakfast was over and disappeared from the tables.

The two teachers made their way to the teacher's lounge in silence. They entered, only to be greeted by a tense silence again; all the teachers lost in their own thoughts about the disappearance of their 2 students. Without a word, McGonagall took a seat next Flitwick and the teachers looked to Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, if you don't mind my asking, because we all want to know, what happened?" Snape spoke, being the first to break the tense silence in the room.

"I wish I knew, Severus, I really wish I knew."

"Well, how did you find out that they were missing in the first place?" Snape asked, his eyes narrowing a little.

"Well, last night, before we returned," Dumbledore started, making a story up on the spot, knowing it wasn't the right time to reveal to the other that they might have ran away to look for something that he himself wasn't sure even existed. "I asked Harry and Cecilia to come and see me in my office before they went off to bed. They never showed." There were a few solemn nods toward him. "I stayed up for a few hours thinking they might have just been giving you every detail but I just gave up and decided that if they showed and I wasn't there , I would just speak with them in the morning."

"But what made you worry so much this morning, they might have just been sleeping in or something of the like." Professor Sprout questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm not quite sure, I just had a bad feeling this morning. I had to check on them. I went to the Gryffindor rooms and sent Severus to the Slytherin. They weren't there. I have told you all I know and now I am wondering if you saw anything out of the ordinary this morning or perhaps heard something that may help us in this investigation?" The teachers did nothing more than shake their heads sadly or look down at their laps. "Oh, well, no matter, they might not have ran away, I mean, the Death Eaters did just attack the ministry with the intent of leaving with the prophecy and Harry…" Dumbledore said quietly as he turned on his heel and made his way out the door.

The seed of doubt of them having been kidnapped had been planted. He just needed to make it seem plausible. He just hoped that Harry and Cecilia would have enough sense to lay low for a while before even thinking of venturing outside. He had to find them and see if it was true, to see them well and alive with his own eyes before he told any others of what he had found in his office that night when he got the signal saying his office had been entered.

* * *

**A/N: So, please don't shoot me for being away for so long! High school finally caught up with me. Marching band, essays, keeping up with geometry, homework, sleeping. I know they aren't great excuses for being gone for that long but, they're true. Also, I part took (and WON) NaNoWriMo for the first time ever! NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's when a bunch of crazy people try to write 50 thousand words in a month, November. I started on the sixth and still managed to make it. I suggest it for next year for anyone who really wants to be a writer. It really helped me, and it's the longest thing I've ever written! So anyway, for all of you out there who have been reading this from the start and are STILL puting up with me, thanks for sticking around, and if you're new to this story, thanks for reading all my rambling. I don't usually ramble this much. Thanks for everything, you guys, you all really helped my get to where I am today. **

**PS: A shoutout to nightwing27 for reviewing every chapter while I was out. I never got any notifications when you wrote them, but they made my smile so much when I logged on for the first time since August. You deserve cookies.**

**PPS: Harry Potter 7. That's where it's at man. See it? Like it? Hate it? Any thoughts on it whatsoever? I'd like to know! **


	13. Chapter 13

Harry and Cecilia stood huddled under the Invisibility cloak in pouring rain. Dark rain clouds were covering the sky. There was nobody around in the terrible weather, so Harry and Cecilia had a clear path to the Dumbledore home. They stood at the gate of a small cottage. The grass was green and the house looked cared for, probably by magic. They slipped inside the gate and made their way to the door, careful to not let the cloak fall so any random passersby wouldn't see them.

Carefully sliding inside the door and letting it fall shut, Cecilia cast a quick spell to see if there was anyone in the house and, as suspected, there wasn't. They slipped from under the cloak and took a good look around. The house was homey, or as homey as a house that hadn't been lived in years. Not too big, but not too small. It was a family home. They wandered off to explore the house.

Cecilia found herself in a room that could only be a living room. It had a small television set on a stand and a few pictures on top. She moved closer to see what they were pictures of. The first and largest was a family portrait. Albus and his brother were standing in front of their parents and Arianna in front of them. They would smile and wave and then laugh at some unheard joke. It was very different from the Dumbledore they knew and respected. He was younger, much younger. He had the eyes of a man that didn't have to care for his family by himself.

While Cecilia was inspecting the living room, Harry made his way to the kitchen. There was a round table with four chairs around it. The counter tops were made of marble and there was a window above the sink that overlooked a small wooded backyard. Or it would have, if the white curtains hadn't been pulled shut so tightly. Harry searched through the cabinets and the refrigerator and quickly deduced that they would have to make a food run soon because there was almost nothing to eat here.

Harry, after not hearing any sound for a while, went to find Cecilia. He reached her in the living room and stood next to her in front of the family portrait of the Dumbledore family, the family way back when everything thing was alright and so carefree. "Dumbledore was so young and happy back then." Cici said as they watched Dumbledore smile and laugh at the unheard joke over and over again. "I mean, I know his story, but I still find it so hard to believe that everything fell apart in his family just months after this was taken." They watched his bright blue eyes look at his family lovingly before looking back at where the camera had been.

"A lot can happen in a short amount of time to change someone, Cici; you and I know that better than anyone." Harry replied, trying to be realistic and comforting at the same time.

"I know, but it's still so hard to believe, even though we've been through so much as well."

Harry reached out and gave her a small hug. "It doesn't so well to dwell on what has already happened, and I know I say that all the time, but it's true; words to live by in my book. Come on, we need to go to town and buy some food. In disguise, of course, and you were always better at those appearance changing spells." And so Cecilia changed them to almost unrecognizable and they made their way into town, laughing and chatting to keep their minds off the task looming above their heads, even if for only a short while.

They made it back to the house without being very noticeable. They came in carry multiple bags and they were laughing and joking as they pulled their hoods from their heads and placed their traveling cloaks on a hook near the door. Harry waved his wand and the bags started floating to the kitchen as they walked behind them, still chatting away.

After a light meal of ham and cheese sandwiches, Harry and Cecilia sat facing each other on opposite sides on the table. They knew that they couldn't avoid the matter any longer. They need a plan of action of how to obtain the horcruxes. It was time to get down to business. "So, we know where all of the horcruxes are and how to destroy them, we just need to figure out how to get them; any ideas?" Cecilia questioned after a sigh and straightening her back in a determined way.

They sat in a thoughtful silence, each of them thinking of a plan or two. "Well, I have a sort of plan to get the locket." Harry replied after a while.

He paused for a moment until Cecilia glared and said "Wellllll…?"

"Oh, right, sorry." Harry said, forgetting for a moment he was in the middle of a plan. "So, when they know we're gone, which they must know by now, Sirius is going to be doing everything within his power to find us. If I know his as well as I think I do, then he probably won't be sleeping much, or be at his home much, spending all his free time out at Hogwarts. That means we can pretty much just go there any time and get the locket from Kreacher."

"Ok, knowing Sirius like we do, I'd say that plan is pretty solid. But we both have to remember to be extra nice to Kreacher to get him to give us the locket." Cecilia pointed out, knowing that the elf didn't care to much for their company.

"Unless we wait until a time when we know Kreacher won't be there. That seems a might easier than trying to convince him to give it to us." Harry said with a stroke of brilliance.

"This is quite true. So it's a plan. Let's do it early next week; by that point, Sirius should have stopped looking in all the obvious places for us and moved onto all the obscure hiding places we could be. Ok, now what are we going to do about all the other horcruxes?"

"Whoa, now, Cici, let's just take this one horcrux at a time." And so they did, planning out their trip to the very last detail, everything from what time they will depart from the Dumbledore Home or, as they nicknamed it, the Cave, to how the remains of the destroyed horcrux would be sent to the order.

They were well prepared for anything and everything as they walked through the door of Grimmauld Place, except one thing. "Come on Sirius, you have to get up. You cannot just sit around sulking anymore. For their sake, you have to face reality and try to find them before someone or something else does. Let's go get you cleaned up." It was the voice of the one and only Remus Lupin as he made his way toward the staircase near the entrance hall to drag a drunken Sirius upstairs. Both Harry and Cecilia froze in their steps, holding their breath and clutching the cloak tighter around themselves as they waited to be found out.

* * *

**A/N: Hey all, see how I'm trying harder to keep up with this now? Yeah, I wanted to get this up to you know, kinda have my own little YAY IT'S 2011! thing going on. Actually, I finished it mostly just to waste time...today was my first day back. It really sucks because it was my first FULL day of school in three weeks. And I was EXHAUSTED. But I only fell asleep once! Anyway, I know this wan't very great, but it's slowly moving along. Fingers crossed that the next chapter comes better than this one. I hope 2011 found you all well!**

**Cheers! ~WD~**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

She was sitting quietly, reading a book. Waiting. And still waiting. Harry never showed up in the common room that morning and it had Hermione Granger in a worry. She knew he had returned safely the night before from the Ministry, so where could he have gone? Ron had already gone on to breakfast, so Hermione finally gave up waiting and started making her way towards the Great Hall as well, hoping that Harry had just gotten up early and went on the breakfast without them. With a huff, she snapped her book shut and stood and started walking out.

Hermione, being the smart girl that she was, knew that something was up the moment she walked into breakfast. Sure, all the students were chatting away happily and gossiping about what had gone down last night at the ministry, but if you actually paid any attention, things at the head table were pretty off. The teacher seems to have let a silence fall over them, something that almost never occurs unless something major happened that left them with much to worry about. They were just pushing their food around on their plate; few fork fulls even reached their mouths before the meal was over. She also noticed how most of the teacher moved out of the hall hastily before breakfast was even over.

She and Ron didn't talk throughout their meal. Ron was too caught up in talking to Seamus and didn't seem to notice the absence of his best friend and Hermione was deep in thought as she started at an open book on the table before her, not eating much. There was obviously something wrong; it took a lot to get all the teachers in a worry. Even Snape looked slightly worried, and that's hard to do. She turned to look towards the Slytherin, having the sudden thought that Harry might have gone to sit with Cecilia, but after a quick swipe of the table, she saw it was devoid of Harry's black mane and Cecilia's fiery red one. She heaved another sigh before getting up and placing her book securely under her arm and leaving the hall without a substantial breakfast.

As she walked out of the hall, a person taller than herself ran straight into her. Quickly righting herself, she turned to confront the person who had so carelessly run her over. What she didn't expect to see was Snape quickly dusting off his robes and picking up her book. He thrust it back at her and glanced at her quickly, slightly distracted. "Miss Granger." He nodded once and strode off. Hermione stood in place baffled. Snape had seemed almost civil to her, no sneer, leer, glare, or insult her been thrown her way.

Thinking quickly, she devised a plan as she moved through the halls in the same direction as Snape, knowing that he'd lead her to where she could find some answers since he wasn't going straight to the dungeons like he usually did on Saturday mornings after breakfast. As she strode, following Snape's steps, she cast a quick muffling charm on her feet and a concealment charm on her shadow and a disillusion charm on the rest of herself.

Snape led her straight to the teachers' lounge. Hermione panicked, knowing that if she was caught, she'd be in big trouble, even if it was so close to the summer. She also knew that at least McGonagall and Dumbledore were still down at breakfast so she had to hide herself before Dumbledore came by because she knew he would see right through her charms. Finding the nearest alcove was easy, so was getting into it, the only risky thing was that she had to keep silent until the teachers were in the room and the door was firmly shut. As she though this, she heard the hurried footsteps of two people. Closing her eyes, holding her breath and clutching her book tightly to her chest, she waited until she heard the door slam shut before relaxing and moving from her hiding place.

She quickly and quietly made her way as close to the door as she dared and strained her hearing. "I wish I knew, Severus, I really wish I knew." This was Dumbledore speaking, obviously answering a question, probably "Why are we here?" or "What is happening?" or something of the like, that Snape had just asked.

"Well, how did you find out that they were missing in the first place?" Snape said, now responding to Dumbledore. Hermione sucked in a quiet gasp. Harry was missing. There was no doubt in Hermione's mind that one of the 'they' that they were talking about was him.

Thinking deeply, Hermione almost missed Dumbledore's next statement. "Well, last night, before we returned, I asked Harry and Cecilia to come and see me in my office before they went off to bed. They never showed. I stayed up for a few hours thinking they might have just been giving you every detail but I just gave up and decided that if they showed and I wasn't there, I would just speak with them in the morning." Hermione crinkled her nose in confusion. "Harry and Cecilia hadn't said anything about meeting Dumbledore before bed. CECILIA! She must be the other one missing! It all fits!" Hermione's mind whirled with thoughts and ideas and explanations.

"But what made you worry so much this morning; they might have just been sleeping in or something of the like." Professor Sprout questioned of Dumbledore.

"I'm not quite sure; I just had a bad feeling this morning. I had to check on them. I went to the Gryffindor rooms and sent Severus to the Slytherin. They weren't there. I have told you all I know and now I am wondering if you saw anything out of the ordinary this morning or perhaps heard something that may help us in this investigation?" The teachers did nothing more than shake their heads sadly or look down at their laps. "Oh, well, no matter, they might not have run away, I mean, the Death Eaters did just attack the ministry with the intent of leaving with the prophecy and Harry…" Dumbledore said quietly.

Hermione heard him turn quickly and start making his way out of the room, but didn't react right away and she would have been caught if not for the "Wait, what shall we tell the other students? You know they are going to start asking questions soon." McGonagall said quite loudly.

Hermione held her breath again and didn't let it out until she heard Dumbledore turn back around. "Tell them the truth, they deserve it. There's no use lying to them." Dumbledore's words faded out as Hermione made her way quietly away from the room and back to the entrance hall and outside to the lake where she sat, leaning against a tree, contemplating what she had just overheard.

~xXx~

Meanwhile, across the country, one Remus Lupin was making his way up a set of stairs with his friend leaning heavily on him when he thought he heard a small gasp and a quiet shushing right after.

* * *

**A/N: Hey! I decided I'd actually try and keep on top of my writing now! So, to celebrate my three day weekend (Because MLK day and all that.) I decided to submit a new chapter. Now I'm pooped, after school, I read Frankenstien for two hours to get that homework done, then I had a basketball pep band to attend (Which was quite fun, but still tiring.) so I'm posting this and going to bed. **

**Please, someone out there help motivate me into continuing to write this? I swear, I'm getting quite tired of it, I mean, I HAVE been writing it for almost a year and a half... And then there's the days when my writing completely sucks but I just wanted to let any constant readers know that I'm still alive and then the days when it's super good and I'm really proud of it. Or there's the ehh days, where it's just average. I want all my writing day to be super, or at least average, and to get that, I need motivation and support. Right now I feel like no one would really care if I stopped this. Someone tell me this is worth it to keep writing, please? Because I'm about on the verge of giving up. And I swore to myself when I started writing this this I would NEVER give up. At times, I really felt like I was going to, but I pulled through. But it's getting harder and harder to stay true to that promise when I'm so busy and not motivated and feel like no one care's about all my hard work. One person, please be that light the helps me through to the end of this. One person, that's all I'm asking.**

**-Sorry about the emotional outburst there, but I can't express my feelings and fears to anyone I actually know, it's easier to say things like that to complete strangers, and the wrds are 100% true.-**

**-WD-**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"_They were well prepared for anything and everything as they walked through the door of Grimmauld Place, except one thing. "Come on Sirius, you have to get up. You cannot just sit around sulking anymore. For their sake, you have to face reality and try to find them before someone or something else does. Let's go get you cleaned up." It was the voice of the one and only Remus Lupin as he made his way toward the staircase near the entrance hall to drag a drunken Sirius upstairs. Both Harry and Cecilia froze in their steps, holding their breath and clutching the cloak tighter around themselves as they waited to be found out."_

"Come on Sirius, work with me. If I have to, I am going to drag you up these stairs. Look at yourself, you're a mess. You are doing nothing whatsoever to help find them." Lupin said, trying to get Sirius to use his feet instead of half dragging him up the stairs.

"Why even bother, Moony, there's no use. Voldemort's probably already got his hands on them and is preparing to kill them, and then they'll be gone, just…just like James and Lily were; gone in an instant. Poof, just like that." Sirius replied, slurring his words and seemingly slightly delusional. Yes, he had most definitely been drinking away his pain, Cecilia decided as she watched Sirius flail his arms around drunkenly.

Sirius continued his drunken rambling and arm flailing as Lupin stood, supporting most of Sirius' weight only three steps up from the bottom on the stairwell. During a particularly large arm swing, Sirius stopped midsentence and gave a large hiccup and his spread arms flailed with the force of it and went straight towards Lupin's head. Cecilia heard Harry's sharp intake of breath and quickly shushed him hoping that the other two in the room hadn't heard.

Of course, her hopes fell short when she noticed Lupin looking directly towards where she and Harry were hidden. They both held their breaths as Lupin started maneuvering Sirius down to sit on the steps, probably to investigate, but he never got the chance. As soon as Sirius touched the step, his face started paling. "Moony, I'm not feeling too hot." And Sirius promptly turned to the side, the side that Lupin happened to be on, and began retching.

Immediately, Lupin forgot about investigating and quickly pulled out his wand and vanished the vomit from his shoes and the floor. Helping Sirius back up, Lupin started speaking; "Man, Padfoot, this is what happens when you drink so much on an empty stomach. Come on, that's enough of this. You are going to stop this right now. You are going to be sober, clean, and well rested tomorrow and you will start helping in the searches and that is final." Moony finished his mini monologue as they reached the top of the steps and turned towards the bathroom.

Harry and Cecilia let out relieved breaths at their luck. Moving as one, they made their way to the sitting room that Sirius had vacated earlier. Scattered around the couch were several empty bottles. There was the distinct smell of alcohol in the air and Harry spotted broken glass shards on the floor. Cecilia let the cloak fall from their shoulders when they heard the sound of water being started in the bathroom above them.

"Man, he's a mess." Harry pointed out as he held up a bottle by the neck that the bottom had been shattered. It dripped a few drops of firewhiskey to the floor indicating it had recently been broken and hadn't had the chance to dry out yet.

"Obviously." Cecilia rolled her eyes before a concerned look filled them. "Harry, do you think we did the right thing, just leaving the way we did?" She trailed her finger lightly over the piling up pieces of parchment that Sirius had, presumably, received in the mail.

Harry placed the broken bottle back to the floor and moved to Cecilia. "Cici, there's no way to know if what we did was right or if it was the best way to go about things. But it's in the past now and we need to keep looking forward and right now, looking forward means getting the locket and getting out of here before Sirius or Remus comes back down here. Let's get moving." Cici nodded and they made their way quietly to the kitchen where they knew Kreacher's hiding place of the locket to be.

"Harry, you keep watch while I go in there and get the locket." She didn't wait for Harry to respond as she crouched down and crawled in Kreacher's sleeping place. It took her a few minutes, but she found it buried in the fold of the dirty blanket on the floor. Having thought of this ahead, she pulled out her wand and made a copy of the locket and placed it back where she found the original locket.

Crawling her way back out, she felt Harry grab her arm and pulled her up. She was about to protest being manhandled like that, but she felt his hand over her mouth and the cloak being thrown over her. She understood; someone must have been nearing the kitchen.

Cecilia quieted her breathing and Harry finally removed his hand slowly from her mouth. They glanced at each other, conveying a silent message and turning to the door to see who was coming. The door swung open and Remus walked in. He looked tired; he had dark circles under his eyes and his clothes were wrinkled and worn. He walked to the cabinets and started removing bottles and pouring the contents down the sink. He was disposing Sirius' supply of alcohol down the drain.

Before he was about to empty the last bottle, he looked at it for a long moment, seeming to consider something. He lifted the bottle to his lips, but before he could take a sip, there was a loud crash from above. Remus leaned down, putting his head in his arms heaving a large sigh. After a moment, he straightened his back, gave a small glance to the bottle of alcohol in his hands before throwing it into the sink and stalking out of the kitchen presumably to go help the fallen Sirius.

Harry and Cecilia let out the breaths they had been holding as they head Remus stomp up the steps to help Sirius. "PADFOOT, look at the mess you made. Do I have to do everything for you?" They head Remus yell in fury. They felt it safe to remove the cloak thinking that the two other occupants of the house would be busy for a few moments.

"Why does that keep happening to us?" Harry rhetorically asked exasperatedly.

"Heck if I know, Harry, but what I do know is that we'd best be getting out of here soon. That last call was a little too close for my liking." Cecilia said as she started carefully making her way back through kitchen to the living room, the locket clutched tightly in her fist and Harry following closely behind, listening carefully to the goings-on of the second floor.

Minutes later, they stood outside of Grimmauld Place and watched as number twelve disappeared between thirteen and eleven. They heaved a huge sigh of relief. This trip ment that soon there would only be three horcruxes left. And themselves, if they were still horcruxes. But they were trying to be optimistic, so they hoped that there was only three left. They turned sharply on the spot, ready to be rid of the locket for good.

* * *

**A/N: YAY. A new chapter! I know what you're thinking, "TWO chapters in the span of ONE week!" Crazy, right? Right. Buuuuuuut, the weather has been crazy where I live. This time last week, everyone at my school was complaining how we shouldn't be having school because there was so much snow, but my county's stupid and had the roads salted and ready to plow before the snow even began. Anyway, two days ago, it was warm enough for a day of rain instead of snow so all that snow we had from before was melted and such. Than TODAY, we had a huge snow storm. (5 1/2 inches! More tonight!) So, most schools are cancelled for tomorrow. Even one that NEVER closes, closed, and there's this unwriten rule where I go to school, if that district closes, so do we. If they have early dismissal, so do we. If they have a two hour late start, HEY, so do we. It's just the way it works. SO, to celebrate this unexpected (I swear, we NEVER close) three day weekend, I decided to grace the world with a new chapter! **

***Whispering* Don't tell, but ****I never read the four chapters due in Frankenstein for tomorrow, or started the geometry review sheet, or studied for TWO french quizzes, or read those science articles for our honors research project and finished those workbook pages on classifying chemical reactions. (- I have NO IDEA how to do those...during that class, I spent my time trying to put together a puzzle cube instead of listening) SO, you should review for PROCRASTINATION...tomorrow.**

**1/20/11**


	16. Chapter 16

**_Shhh! Don't tell, but my mom thinks I'm writing a scary short story assignment that's due on Monday for English._**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

They appeared right outside of the gate to the Cave. They glanced around quickly to make sure no one had heard them Apparate or will notice if the gate opened to allow their invisible selves through.

Once they were in the confines of the Cave, they let the cloak fall with a sigh of relief; they managed to make it home safely without being seen, sure, with a few close call, but they came out with what they went in for and that was all they could ask for. Once they had composed themselves enough, Cecilia picked up the cloak and hung it on the coat hook near the door and dragged Harry to the kitchen. She yanked the chain from around her neck as soon as she entered and tossed it on the table with a look of disgust on her face.

"Harry, please go get the fangs so we can get rid of this; I can't stand it, I can feel the dark magic." Cecilia demanded. Harry complied without a second thought, glance, or word.

Harry strode quickly out of the room and returned a few moments later with a small black bag swinging from his arm. He tossed it across the room to Cecilia. She reached out and caught it with one hand swiftly, using her impressive chaser skills to not drop it as she used her other hand to start undoing the tie at the top.

Once the knot that Harry had tied so carelessly was undone, Cecilia grabbed the Basilisk fang that was on the top of the pile and tossed the rest of the bag carelessly onto the marble countertop behind her. She gave a small nod to Harry signaling that she was ready, and he hissed quietly at it to open.

With a battle cry, Cecilia brought the fang clutched tightly in her hand down in the locket on the table without a second thought, without letting it have a chance to defend itself or put up a fight and then a second time on the other side of the locket. Cici sighed with relief when it was over. She sank down into a chair and put her head down in her hands, suddenly feeling exhausted.

Harry approached her slowly and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. After a few moments, Cecilia had composed herself and let the fang slip out of her hand as she stood, shrugging Harry's hand off her shoulder.

"Come on, let's get this done." She pulled out her wands and pointed it to the unblemished surface of the fang and set to work.

~xXx~

It was a fairly cool morning for the middle of the summer and Albus Dumbledore took note of this as he sat down to his breakfast in his office at seven thirty facing a window that overlooked the lake as the morning sun rose.

As he watched the peaceful sunrise and munched lightly on his meal, he was silently going over items to discuss at the Order meeting that would be taking place later that day. Voldemort had been very careless lately because the world knew he was back and they could no longer push things off on Sirius Black who had been cleared of all charges and reimbursed for all the years unjustly spent in Azkaban.

Dumbledore let his mind wander as he finished going through his notes. _'Could Harry and Cecilia just have gotten up and left like that? Had they really been kidnapped? Are they even still alive?' _He was so lost in thought that he almost missed the incessant tapping at the window he was staring out of.

Startled, he glanced up to see a plain brown barn owl outside his window with a small gift box tied to his leg. Thinking it was last minute news for the Order meeting that was to take place in less than a half hours' time, he quickly strode to the window and allowed the owl in. It stuck it's leg out and waited as he untied the small box and then it soared to Fawkes' perch where it took a few gulps of water before returning to the window and departing.

Dumbledore, curious as to what was in the package, latched the window tightly and strode to his desk. He slid the lid off the box and started confused at its contents. Inside was another box. He stopped himself as he started reaching for the next box and pulled his wand from his robes, suspicious of who was paranoid enough to send something in a box within a box. There was a small amount of magic that was detected, but none that would do any harm to the recipient.

He sat his wand on the desk and again reached for the package. Upon opening the lid of the second box, he came across something that puzzled him. It appeared to be a fang of some sort. It also appeared to have been carelessly torn or ripped or cut from the mouth of whatever creature it came from.

He sat it down, prepared to investigate it later and leaned over the box again, but saw nothing. Disappointed, he started to clear away the boxes and their lids but he heard a small clink against the side of the box. He cocked his head to the side curiously and checked again, but saw nothing. After pondering this for a moment, he took the box and turned it upside down. Less than a second later, he heard the sound of something metal clatter on his desk.

Grabbing his wand, he cast a quick _'Finite Incantatem'_ and watched with satisfaction as the small golden trinket suddenly appeared on his desk. He tossed his wand back down and turned the necklace over in his hands to look it over. As he took in the 'S' printed in the middle of the locket, it clicked in his mind.

His eyes widened in shock and with shaking fingers, he fumbled with it to open. Once he had steadied his hands enough to open it, he started in relief at the two punctures in the glass of the locket, one on each side. He then understood the fang that he had so carelessly thrown aside.

Dumbledore then reached for the fang and held it in his hand for a moment. After letting the locket fall to his desk again, he turned the fang over in his hand, but something caught his attention. The surface of the tooth wasn't smooth as it should be, but had raised edges. He peered at it closer and saw that the raised edges were not there by chance, they were placed there by several slicing charms.

He could barely make out what the inscription said. After a few more minutes of squinting and deciphering, he had deduced that there were two small words printed on the fang. Fire and Ice.

* * *

**A/N: Hey! I'm getting a little better at this updating thing. I'll try to keep it up (and it'll be easier because WE ARE DONE WITH FRANKENSTIEN. YES.) SO. Yes, there may or may not be a new chapter next weekend. Maybe. I don't know yet, depends on a few things...but I won't bore you with details. **

**1/28/11**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

A fire flared to life in the office of one Albus Dumbledore, who, at that moment, was staring dumbfounded at a slim curved item in his hand. "Headmaster, we are waiting for you to begin the meeting." The voice of Remus Lupin filled his office and startled him out of his shock, oh the irony.

He quickly placed the object on his desk and stood, looking slightly ruffled. "Ah, yes, of course. Just a moment." Remus nodded his head respectfully and pulled away from the fire. Dumbledore then collected all the destroyed horcruxes and placed them in a deep pocket in his robes. He strode to the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of floo powder from a small pot. Throwing it into the fire, he clearly spoke, "Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Kitchen," and stepped gracefully through the fire.

On the other side of the fire, the kitchen was jam packed with members of the Order of the Phoenix. The table had been enlarged and there were even a few people standing around the room. Dumbledore stepped out of the fire and carefully dusted himself off. The room quieted immediately at his appearance.

"Sorry, you must forgive an old man, lost track of time." There were several nods from around the room as Dumbledore made his way through the room to stand at the head of the table. "Now, let us being."

An hour later, as people were starting to clear out, Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke out; "Excuse me, Sirius, Remus, Severus, Minerva, Arthur, Kingsley, is there any chance you could stay a moment to talk."

Sirius, who had been sitting slouched in a chair the whole meeting just grunted, but all the others gave a silent nod and returned to their seats. "Now, as you heard, Death Eater attacks have been more frequent recently, due to the disappearance of Harry and Cecilia, but we've also gained some outside help. Do any of you know what a horcrux is?" He watched their reactions closely. Obviously, Minerva, Arthur, Severus, Remus and Sirius had no idea, but Kingsley face turned grave.

"A horcrux is a very dark piece of magic. One splits one's soul and places it in an object and it ties that part of the soul to Earth, essentially making one live forever. There is only way to make one: to murder someone, and they are extremely difficult to destroy; only the venom of a basilisk or fiendfyre will destroy them." Albus spoke.

McGonagall gasped. "That's a terrible thing, who would do something like that?"

"Voldemort has made seven of these." Sirius was now sitting up a little straighter in his chair and everyone was paying strict attention to Dumbledore. There were looks of horror on each face in the room at this comment.

Dumbledore reached into his robes and started placing objects in the center of the table. A locket, a small black book, and a crown like object. Kingsley reached out and took one in his hands. "This is one, then?" He started flipping through the small black diary.

"Yes, these are three of the seven. Now, as you can guess, a horcrux can be any old object, but this is Voldemort we're speaking of, so each of these have a significant value to him." Dumbledore reached out for the diary and Kingsley hesitantly handed it over. "This diary he gave to Lucius Malfoy. His plan was to send it with a student to Hogwarts to someday re-open the Chamber of Secrets. In Harry and Cecilia's second year, Miss Weasley obtained this diary and Voldemort possessed her and made her open the Chamber of Secrets. Harry and Cecilia managed to bring down a basilisk and unknowingly destroyed a piece of Voldemort's soul.

"These two, however," Dumbledore continued after placing the diary in his pocket again and held up the other two horcruxes for everyone to see, "have recently been destroyed by someone on the outside." He said, telling a small lie, knowing he shouldn't tell them of the notes that Harry and Cecilia had left him.

"So if those three have been discovered and destroyed, what and where are the other four?" Minerva asked with a thoughtful look to her face.

"That's just it, I haven't a clue. This crown is the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw, and the Locket is Slytherin's, so I am led to believe that the others are something of the Founder's." A silence fell upon the group, each lost in their own thoughts.

"What about the sword of Gryffindor?" Sirius asked, seeming more alive than he had in days.

"No, no, there is no way; it has been at Hogwarts for many years, longer than Voldemort has been alive. Point is there is someone, not within the Order that knows of the horcruxes and is destroying them."

"And you've no idea who it is?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Not in the slightest; for all I know, it could be a Death Eater turned good." Everyone contemplated this thought, sneaking glances at Snape every once in a while who glared at them in response. "Anyhow, I decided to tell you all in hopes that you could keep your ears open for any who call themselves Fire and Ice."

"How will we know it is them?" Sirius questioned.

"Look for a duo fighting Death Eaters; perhaps trying to be inconspicuous about it. Any other questions?"

The few around the table nodded. "Are there anymore searches going on for Harry and Cici that I may help with?" Sirius then asked, looking hopeful.

"Ah, yes, a party is being put together as we speak at Hogwarts to search Hogsmead and the surrounding caves and mountains. Would you care to return to Hogwarts with me and join?"

Sirius nodded enthusiastically and Remus spoke up as well, "I would like to join in as well, since I haven't been much of a help recently because of Sirius." He pointedly glared at Sirius.

"Ah, of course. Let us be going then, I shall see the rest of you at the meeting next week." He nodded at Sirius and Remus as he made his way to the fireplace while placing the horcruxes in his pockets.

Upon entering his office, he told the other two men that the search party was being organized in the Great Hall and then made his way to his desk. He quickly placed the horcruxes and the basilisk fang in the top drawer of his desk and then placed a locking charm on it before following the other men to the Great Hall.

* * *

**A/N: It's the weather just peachy? We had two snow days or, as people around where I live call it, ice days. Yes, there is legitly a layer of ice over everything; driveways can be used for skating, branches being brought down by the weight of the ice. It was/is intense. Over 50,000 people without power in the central area of my state. My house managed to keep power through all of this, so we were really lucky. So, anyway, I'm updating now because I will not be updating on Friday, because I have a music event thing and I have a solo and two ensembles to worry about, SO, i hope I do well...See you all next week. Sorta.**

**2/2/11**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"I'm sick and tired of all this searching and ending up without any results. We should just give up, there's no use! We'll never find them; they're as good as dead!"

"Padfoot, please, calm yourself. Let's think about this logically," One Remus Lupin began, trying to comfort his bitter friend, but said bitter friend cut him off.

"Look at you, always have to look at things logically. Logical Lupin, that what we should all just call you from now on." There was a sharp crack heard about the room as Lupin's hand connected with Sirius' face.

"Get ahold of yourself, man. Look, we all know that the ministry has never been very fond of Harry and Cecilia, so if they were really dead, they would have had it plastered all over the Daily Prophet. If the Death Eaters had them killed, then they'd have made sure we all knew by now."

Sirius had calmed down considerably by now. He was still frustrated and sat with his arms crossed over his chest like a small child would, but he was no longer screaming at people. Dumbledore, at this point, finally decided to interrupt their conversation. "That, Remus, is a very true statement, but we're off topic. Now, has anyone seen or heard anything of Fire and Ice?"

There were no responses; the room remained silent. "They've been unusually quiet recently. Are you sure you've heard nothing, Severus?" The old man turned to a dark cloaked figure in the back corner of the kitchen where they were meeting. The rest of the occupants turned also, not having heard the man enter.

Snape reluctantly stepped from the shadows that were covering him and pushed his hood off his head. "Sir, I have already told you everything I know."

"Yes, yes, but please, enlighten the rest of the Order as I'm sure that they aren't aware." Dumbledore said, the sat down at the head of the table with a pleased smile of his face.

"If I must," Severus sighed. "The last time I saw the duo, was about a week and a half ago. I was on a raid for Voldemort, we were to take the rest of the town of Little Hangleton…

~xXx~

Severus Snape leaned casually against a wall near the outskirts of the small town they were about to raid. Honestly, he didn't see the point in raiding the town where every muggle already feared the occupants of the old Riddle household, namely the Death Eaters.

He waited patiently while the others grouped up. He wondered why they even bothered; they always were in the same groups, the weaker Death Eaters attacking first, and then the stronger ones running in moments later to take everyone down.

As Snape causally drifted into his own world, the first group of Death Eaters marched on towards the town. He twirled his wand in his fingers lightly, still contemplating how dumb this idea was when his thoughts were interrupted by the shouts of previous group of Death Eaters. Like the rest of the people remaining, he straightened himself and started toward where the disturbance was coming from.

When they were about to round the last corner, where the shouts were loudest, they stopped; just silence, nothing, not even a whisper of wind through the trees. It was the kind of calm that comes right before a giant storm, or right after the skies have cleared. But Severus Snape, he knew better to be lulled into thinking it was over, oh yes, he knew. This wouldn't be the calm that comes after a storm, no, it would be the calm before the storm.

He straightened his back once more as the others started to turn back to their meeting place, shrugging their shoulders, not knowing what to make of the disturbance that had stopped so suddenly.

"Wait." He called out to those below his ranking. "Something isn't right, the signal should have come by now." He pointed out, and watched as the others looked to the sky and for the first time, noticed it completely void of the Dark Mark that should have been proudly shining by now, and they all knew it.

Bellatrix then sneered, "Yes, even those incompetent fools would have that whole town screaming by now. Let us go see what is keeping them." She started leading the way without looking back to see if anyone was following her.

Snape pulled his wand out as well and began to follow her, as did Lucius and as they moved to investigate, the other scrambled to follow as well.

As they drew nearer, they saw two figures cloaked in black with hoods pulled low over their faces. They both had their wands out and seemed to be speaking to each other while surrounded by the bodies of fallen Death Eaters. They silently placed their wands back in their cloaks as they surveyed the damage they left.

"Why, of all nights, did they have to be attacking this town tonight, the night we have planned out so carefully for weeks on end—" The stealthy Death Eaters were waiting silently in the shadows for this person, a male, to continue, but the other hushed him with a silent nod of his head.

Lucius sent a silent signal to the Death Eaters. They would attack on his signal when he gave it, but first, he wanted to see who these two people were. No one that young could easily take out and group of twenty Death Eaters, be they new recruits, or inner circle members, and live to tell the tale.

Lucius stepped forward, wand hidden up his sleeve, ready to be pulled out in a moment's notice. "I don't enjoy when my Death Eaters are defeated. Now we can do this the easy way, with you telling me who you are and allowing me to take this village without having to attack you, or we can fight."

"Oh, no, you needn't worry about us, we were just passing through." The second was not a he, but a she, and she was very obviously mocking and baiting him.

"Then I am afraid I cannot let you live." Without another word he slipped his wand from his sleeve and pointed it at the man while his Death Eaters slid from the shadows and walked up beside him.

"Oh, no? I—we—beg to differ." She said, also pulling her wand from her robes again.

"Fine, then we attack." He said with a cruel smirk on his face.

The ones who call themselves Fire and Ice stood straighter and prepared to fight.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, sorry this is a day late. I have been sick and forced to go to school. Yesterday I had to attend a pep band and tried to sit down and finish writing this chapter, but you want to know what came out? Okay, so, the paragraph that starts "Bellatrix then sneered, "Yes, even those incompetent fools would have that whole town screaming by now. Let us go see what is keeping them."" was this when I gave up from falling asleep at the computer last night: "A newer recruit decided it would be an opportune moment to show his bravery said, "Yeah, those incompetent fools would have the whole town screaming foot."**

**Yup, I decided to rewrite that, and a lot before it as well, but that was the most noticeable fail, the rest just didn't flow right and didn't sound at all good. So be glad I chose not to update yesterday. **

**Anywho, reviews are cool and you get virtural pie if you do so. Just saying. So, hopefully I'll feel better by the middle of next week so I can start/finish the next chapter.**

**~WD~  
2/13/11**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Harry and Cecilia Potter stood warily just inside of the place that had come to call home over the last two and a half months. They both knew it was time. There was no way they could delay it much longer, because they knew Dumbledore would soon be trying to obtain the ring and they could not allow that to happen because, ultimately, it would lead to his death.

Harry—Fire—glanced in a nearby mirror. His eyes were turned a dark brown, almost black color, and his hair was cropped short and a sandy blonde, his scar gone. He turned to his sister and looked at the changes to her appearance. She had light blue eyes and long platinum blonde hair like that of a Malfoy.

She smirked a smirk worthy of a Malfoy and said, "Are you bothered by my choice of hair color?"

Harry shook his head with a small smile on his face. "Let's just get going." He slipped the hood of his cloak low over his face and turned to the door.

"Oh hush." She playfully punched her brother on his arm and mirrored his previous actions of pulling her hood low over her face, only allowing her blonde hair to hang lose around her face. She followed him through the door and around the block away from muggle prying eyes. They interlocked their arms and Apparated at the same time to just outside a small muggle town that they knew the shabby Gaunt shack and another of Voldemort's horcruxes to be.

~xXx~

Upon landing in a small clearing just off the main path leading into the town, there stumbled. And it wasn't just any stumble; it was a stumble of shock. They had managed to Apparate right into the midst of a group of Death Eaters.

The Death Eaters, luckily, were not the brightest and stood, staring in shock at the sudden intrusion of their ranks. Harry and Cecilia, after having been fighting Death Eaters off and on the past two months, were prepared to jump into action. After a few well aimed stunners from both Harry and Cecilia bringing down a good portion of the group, the remaining Death Eaters jumped into action.

A nearby masked figure shouted a battle cry and started throwing spells every which way, trying to get a shot to hit Harry or Cecilia, but ending up taking out multiple Death Eaters in the process. Throughout the clearing, one could hear the sound of Harry and Cecilia Apparating to avoid said chaotic spells. Once the last Death Eater fell, Harry and Cecilia stood to inspect the bodies.

Harry carelessly kicked the masks off those nearest him with a sneer of distaste on his face while Cecilia did the same to the others. "I don't recognize a single one of them."

Cecilia nodded in agreement. "Nor do I; they must be new, or not important enough for us to recognize."

"Well, no matter, they won't be of much trouble to us anymore." Harry stated at he bent down and started to place small objects onto those scattered on the ground before him. Cecilia followed suite. They were placing wrist bands on each of the Death Eaters that would act as a portkey when the activation phrase was spoken, transporting them directly to the Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic.

"What I don't get is why, of all nights, did they have to be attacking this town tonight, the night we have planned out so carefully for weeks on end—" Harry was saying, but stopped when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement in the forest behind Cici. He watched as the obvious leader of the next group of Death Eaters made a signal of some sort to his followers and then gripped his wand and stepped out of the shadows.

"I don't enjoy when my Death Eaters are defeated. Now we can do this the easy way, with you telling me who you are and allowing me to take this village without having to attack you, or we can fight." The silky, deadly voice of Lucius Malfoy spoke, promising a fight to follow.

"Oh, no, you needn't worry about us, we were just passing through." Cici mocked.

"Then I am afraid I cannot let you live," was the reply she received as she watched the rest of the Death Eaters stalked out of the shadows and stand behind their leader.

"Oh, no? I—we—beg to differ." Cici said, pulling her wand from her robes again.

"Fine, then we attack." Both Harry and Cici knew that Malfoy was expecting them to be unprepared, but what he didn't know was that they were more than ready for the onslaught of spells that started flying their way at once.

Cutting hexes, freezing charms, stunners, blasting curses all flew through the air, some hitting their targets, some hitting the unexpected and others landing the nearby forest that was clearly unused to this kind of treatment. Slowly, one by one, the Death Eaters fell.

Harry watched in horror as a well-aimed cutting hex flew directly toward Cecilia while her back was turned the opposite way. As if in slow motion, he warned Cici of the looming danger and sighed a breath of relief as the Apparated to safety, but didn't see the stunner flying directly toward his head. He wasn't as lucky as Cici and didn't manage to move fast enough to get away.

He fell with a silent thud. Cecilia, in her rage at her brother being struck down, shot multiple stunners bring down two of the last three Death Eaters standing. The only one remaining on his feet was, predictably, Lucius Malfoy.

"So it comes down to this, doesn't it, Malfoy? You've no Death Eaters left, and my comrade is down as well." Cici said straightening her back proudly like that of the Slytherin she was.

He chuckled darkly. "You speak as if you could pose a challenge to me. You? Defeating me, the Dark Lord's highest ranking follower? As if; you look no older than seventeen, if that; you look as if you should still be in school."

She smirked darkly, her shockingly white teeth. "Looks can be deceiving." With the speed of a snake, she raised her wand and silently cast a cutting hex, aimed for his wand arm. Lucius, who was not expecting her to fight back, was not prepared and could not move fast enough to avoid the spell.

The curse cut though his skin to the bone. His wand clattered to the ground and he clutched his wrist with his opposite hand, hissing in pain, not taking his eyes off of her wand. She sent another blasting curse at him but he managed to throw himself at the ground to avoid it this time. Cici stalked toward him and stopped, towering over him.

Her hood was pulled low over her face so that Lucius could only see her satisfied smirk. "Who are you?" He stuttered in disbelief over that fact that someone who seemed to still be school age beat him so easily.

"I am known by many names, but you shall know me as Ice and my comrade as Fire." She raised her wand from her side and he closed his eyes, not wanted to see her malicious face as she cast another spell. He waited, but the spell never came and he opened his eyes again. "I will allow you to leave, to tell you _master_," she sneered a sneer worthy of a Malfoy before continuing again, "how his precious inner circle was defeated so easily by two mere _children_." She said, throwing his words back at him.

He quickly scooted away and stood, leaving his wand behind and Apparating away. Cecilia then turned to her brother's prone form and cast a quick '_Enervate_' and helped him sit up. "You okay, Fire?" She asked, concerned.

Harry rubbed a small bump forming on the back of his head, but shook his head in the positive. "Yeah, let's get these guys to the Ministry." He stood slowly with Cici's help and they continued with placing the bands around people's wrists. Once they were sure all the scattered Death Eaters were ready to be portkeyed, Harry and Cici stood in the middle of the fallen.

Together, they uttered the phrase that would activate the Death Eater's portkeys to the Ministry. "Change is the only thing that stays the same." They gave a sharp nod to one another and were prepared to move on with the mission they had originally planned for that day: to obtain the ring horcrux.

* * *

**A/N: Hello all, sorry this is a little late, but it's here. I had writers block, my sister wouldn't let me on the computer, I rewrote half of this and it's STILL terrible. Yeah, I know, excuses suck. **

**WD**

**2/20/11**


	20. Chapter 20

If you didn't already know, I DID post last Sunday. Make sure you've read that first.

* * *

Long chapter is long.

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody was sitting at his barely used desk in the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. He was the one that had to stay back and watch over the interns and trainees and desk workers while the rest of the Aurors were at a meeting of some sort. He, of all people, was the one forced to stay back. He huffed and fumed silently at the desk. Paper work wasn't his forte. There was a sudden commotion outside his office door. Reacting faster than most, he was through that door in 12 seconds flat. The site he saw outside his door though, no matter how many years he had been in the Auror business, was one he wasn't really prepared for.

His magical eye swilled frantically around the room, not sure on whom it should focus because on the floor of the main waiting room lobby area there were—he conducted a quick body count—twenty three black cloaked and masked men. Moody limped stiffly to the nearest Death Eater and kicked him over so he was facing up and then kicked the silver mask off his face. He was about to lean down and inspect the unconscious body, but there was another brilliant flash and in the middle of the group of Death Eaters appeared a slip of paper.

After a quick _'Accio,'_ the paper was in his hands, the on lookers peering curiously at the bodies or the paper in Moody's hand. "Even the strongest need help sometimes." He read and then turned the paper over in his hands. A small look of confusion crossed his face. "It's not signed, there's only a picture of a phoenix bursting into flames over what appears t be an ice burg or glacier of some sort." He slipped the paper into his coat pocket intending to go the Hogwarts to see Dumbledore before the Order meeting later that day.

"Tie them up and hold them for questioning; I'll be back later to deal with them." He barked at those under his orders. He limped his way out, scoffing at the inefficiency of those in the office.

~xXx~

A fire flared to life in the brightly lit office of one Albus Dumbledore. The owner of said office stiffened and slipped his hand into his pocket and gripped his wand as he waited to see who was exiting the fire.

"Ah, Alastor, my dear friend," Dumbledore said, relaxing and taking his hand from his wand. "What brings you here on this fine afternoon?" He inquired, holding out a small bowl of lemon drops to his guest.

Moody shook his head and he began to speak, "Albus, as you know, I was the one forced to stay back at the office today, and while I was there, something strange occurred."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in question. "Oh? What, may I ask, was this strange occurrence?"

Moody glared silently before continuing. "I was about to get to that."

"Sorry," Dumbledore replied, popping a lemon drop into his mouth and folding his hands across the desk.

"Now," Moody began explaining again, "just a little bit ago there was a disturbance outside my office. As I stepped out to investigate, I ran into twenty three unconscious Death Eaters littering the floor. As I was bending down to check the arm of the one nearest to me, there was another flash of light and a slip of paper appeared in the midst of the fallen Death Eaters."

Moody then slipped his hand into his jacket and fumbled around for the piece of paper as he continued to speak. "It wasn't signed, all it said was 'even the strongest need help sometimes,' and there is a symbol of some sort in the corner." He handed the paper to Dumbledore. "Do you recognize it?"

Dumbledore stared at the paper for a long moment. "I believe I do, Alastor. I believe it is the symbol of the two who call themselves 'Fire and Ice'. The phoenix is burning, representing fire, and perhaps, because it is a phoenix, it could be hinting that they're on our side. And the melting figure below it, I assume is an ice berg or glacier of some sort to represent ice."

Moody nodded at what the headmaster was saying. "That's what I assumed at first too, but then it made me question why they sent the bodies to us instead of like every other time, making us go to them."

Dumbledore pondered this for a moment, stroking his beard unconsciously. "This proves an excellent inquiry, Alastor." He went silent for another moment. "Perhaps these Death Eaters threatened to attack the town that they were residing in?" Dumbledore said, becoming more alert. "And that would explain why they wouldn't want us to go get the bodies, because they strive so hard to keep their identities a secret, they wouldn't us barging in and finding out who they are." Dumbledore stood abruptly. "Quick, Alastor, we must find where these Death Eaters were attacking."

~xXx~

The Death Eaters disappeared from the ground with a flash and Harry Potter pulled a sheet of parchment from his pocket and smoothed it out while his sister conjured a quill and ink. Harry quickly penned a short note and inscribed the symbol of 'Fire and Ice' in the corner. He pointed his wand at it and muttered under his breath and watched the bright flash of light as it disappeared.

Harry and Cici gave a few silent waves of their wands and restored what they could of the path and the surrounding forest. Once they repaired what they could, they set off down the path toward an overgrown pathway leading to a small rundown shack.

What they weren't aware of was that they were being followed closely in the forest by a man cloaked in black.

Harry and Cici carefully approached the small shack, but were relatively surprised to find that there were no wards or the like around it. "Do you suppose it is a trap?" Cici questioned of her brother.

"There's only one way to find out." Harry replied, swiftly walking up the rotting steps leading to the door. He reached out to the handle and twisted. The knob twisted, but the door didn't budge. He then cast a blasting hex at the door, but it just seemed to be absorbed into the door.

Cici walked up next to him. "Perhaps Parseltongue will open it?" Harry nodded in agreement and started hissing. After he quieted down, Cici reached for the door again. This time, when she twisted the knob and pushed, the door gave. The two nodded at each other and pulled their wands out and lit the tips, still barely able to see through the thick dust in the air. Taking their last deep breath of fresh, clean air, they ventured into the crumbling building.

~xXx~

Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody stormed into the ministry, their minds set on reaching and interrogating the capture Death Eaters. They arrived to the interrogation rooms and entered the first. The Death Eater in the room was still passed out. Dumbledore went to revive the Death Eater while Moody searched through his pocket for his spare vial of Veritaserum that he kept on his person in cases like this.

As the man was still waking, Moody forced a few drops into his mouth and made sure he swallowed. They stood impatiently in front of the man while he became coherent. "Alastor, I must know where they were attacking first, then I shall leave you to interrogate in peace."

Moody grunted in response. Dumbledore then walked toward the table and leaned down, resting on his hands. "Where were you and the other Death Eaters going to attack today?"

He waited impatiently. "We were going to raid Little Hangleton." Dumbledore needed to hear no more. He turned sharply and quickly made his way out. He strode to the Apparition point in the Atrium and set his mind for Little Hangleton.

~xXx~

Severus Snape stood a few feet inside the forest the surrounded the shabby building. After the two that had, single handedly, taken out a group of adult dark wizards. After the entered the shack, he waited. And waited. And waited still. He was getting impatient, and knew he would either have to report back to the Dark Lord soon, or risk being exposed as a double spy.

He decided to leave his hiding place and take a closer look at what the two were doing inside the building when he heard a sputtering cough and saw the door burst open again. They looked weakened and were leaning lightly on each other. They were halfway down the overgrown path when he decided to intercept them.

He stepped out of the shadows and moved to block their path. Immediately, they stopped and stood straighter, hiding their wands a little high.

Snape kept his face stoic as he casually moved in front of them and lightly handled his wand in his hands, as if daring them to attack him. "So, who are you two really, beneath those glamours you so skillfully placed." Snape questioned. The surprised looks he received in reply made him chuckle darkly. "Oh, yes, I'm perfectly aware that you are not showing your real appearances, and I'm positively dying to know who is beneath those false faces, those who have to power and skill to go into a battle with adult Death Eaters and come out not only alive, but having them all incapacitated." He frowned slightly, pondering the reason why they hadn't attacked him yet, even in their weak state.

"You two, who are no more than seventeen, managed to bring down twenty dark wizards more than double your age and walked out relatively uninjured." He knew he was ranting at this point, but the curiosity was killing him, not knowing who these powerful young wizards were. He was still contemplating who they could be when they both suddenly gave moans of pain and fell to the ground, the boy clutching his forehead in agony, and the gild with her arms around her middle. Both wands clattered to the ground, unnoticed by their owners.

Snape bent down on his knees next to the prone figures and flipped them both over with a flick of his wand. He knew it was wrong of him to take advantage of their fits of pain, but he knew there was no other way. He pointed his wand at their faces and whispered, _"Finite Incantatem."_ He watching in awe as the glamour fell and revealed to faces of two very familiar people.

Shock filled his face; he was frozen. He didn't hear the footsteps swiftly approaching from behind or the wand that was briefly pushing into his neck threateningly but clattered to the ground as the person standing behind him also fell to his knees. They kneeled beside each other, sharing in their shock.

* * *

**A/N: Was this at all hard to follow, all the switching back and forth? I dunno, I want your opinion, because I could then do the next chapter like this too, the switching between scenes, if you want me to.**

**Anyway, I managed to get this up on time, but my past few days have been pretty terrible. Our basement flooded, and my room is in the basement. So, I'm sleeping on the couch for a while. Boo. ): Hope your week was better than mine!**

**WD~**

**2/25/11**


	21. Chapter 21

Three week late chapter is three weeks late. Boo. ):

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One**

Anger. Fury. His eyesight turned a brilliant red in his uncontrollable blinding rage. He wanted to lash out at everything within his sight, but knew better and calmed himself.

"Surely," Voldemort said unnervingly calmly, "you are not suggesting to me, Lucius, that half my inner circle—my best Death Eaters—were defeated and turned over to the ministry by two people, no more than mere children?' His eyes narrowed into slits.

Lucius Malfoy stayed in a deep bow, not daring to look up as he spoke. "Y-yes, my lord; that is precisely what happened." He winced as his master hissed in anger.

"Crucio!" He managed to hiss out in his fury, pointing his wand lazily at the incompetent Death Eater before him. After a few minutes, he grew bored of his servant's screams and dismissed the spell. "Lucius, I kindly and generously over looked your failure at the Ministry and obtaining the prophecy for me, but this: two mere children taking out my Death Eaters for this one, small little raid? No, this will not be so easily over looked."

Voldemort tapped his child thoughtfully. He pondered what punishment would suffice for his servant as his faithful sidekick, Nagini, slithered around his shoulders. "Ah, Malfoy, I've got the perfect thing!" He said in a maliciously joyful tone. "There will be a meeting tomorrow to discuss; just I, what's left of my inner circle, and your son."

After his small moment of malicious glee, he ordered his Death Eater out of his sight before he ended his pathetic life and then strode to the room adjacent to his throne room and started blasting it apart. Once the room was in ruins and his anger sedated for now, he called for a house elf to have the room cleaned in an hour, or else it would end in the same state as the room currently was. He strode regally from the room, his cloak billowing behind him, not sparing a second glance at the pathetic creature he left the dirty work for.

~xXx~

Albus Dumbledore Apparated nearby the small town of Little Hangleton away from the prying eyes of the resident muggles and quickly made his way to the path that would lead directly to the town.

He was walking faster than one would think someone of his age could walk; fast, but not so fast as to arouse suspicion had anyone glanced out their window and seen him. As he walked, he was thinking to himself. Once he had heard that the attack had taken place at Little Hangleton, he knew there was indeed a good reason to send the Death Eaters to the ministry instead of making them fetch the incapacitated bodies.

He was about halfway down the path when he saw the entrance he was looking for. It was an overgrow path that led to a small rundown old shack. This shack was his destination.

Sure, he knew he could be wrong about this, about everything really. But his intuition just _knew _that these Fire and Ice characters were really Harry and Cecilia Potter. It all fit, so how could it not be true. Besides, how could two other people, at the same as the Potter twins' disappearances, discover the secret behind Voldemort's immortality?

But there was still an upside to this trip if everything turned out to be wrong. He had been meaning to visit this place since the beginning of the summer but never had a chance what with Harry and Cecilia going missing and trying to cover it and all that had happened. He needed to inspect the Gaunt shack for a horcrux, and if it hadn't already been found, that was his plan.

Right after he turned the corner on the path, he saw two figures fall to the ground, and a black cloaked man bending down next to them. The man pointed his wand at the two.

Thinking this was a Death Eater and the two he was looking for, he hurried down the path, making sure the occupied man didn't hear his footsteps. When he reached close enough that he could point his wand and make contact, he finally saw the silver mask on the ground and the curtain of black hair around his face and at once knew that this man was a Death Eater, but also a spy for the Order.

He listened to Severus Snape whisper 'Finite Incantatem' and watched as the disguises melted away from the two before them. The wand he had pushed into Snape's neck fell away as the two he had been searching for appeared. Even though he had been expecting them, his breath caught in her throat and he dropped his wand. He fell to his knees, not knowing if he was relived or shocked. He couldn't take his eyes off the prone forms of Harry and Cecilia Potter.

~xXx~

Previously:

"Common Harry, it's over here. I can feel it." Cecilia Potter shouted to her brother and motioned to him to follow her. She led him to a suspiciously dust free section of the hardwood floor. Harry nodded in agreement.

They both bent down on their knees and studied the floor although there wasn't much to look at. After casting several dark magic detection spells and coming up positive each time, they knew their suspicions were correct. They started testing the protections around the area, but their search came up relativity clear. "It can't be that easy. He's too paranoid to let it be that easy." Cici said, standing again, scratching her head in wonder.

"I remember once Dumbledore told me he suspected that Voldemort never thought anyone would make the connection between hi middle name and his father's name. Voldemort never planned for anyone to come here, therefore thought it wouldn't need to be as protected." Harry said, tapping his chin in thought. "He probably never expected anyone to get past the door."

"This is true…" Cici whispered. "Well, there's only one way to find out." Without giving Harry a chance to process what she said, she strode to floor they had been kneeling by earlier and waved her wand to pry the floorboards up. She reached in and pulled out a small wooden box. Engraved on this box was a green serpent in the shape of an S.

'Yes,' Cici thought as she lifted the lid slowly and revealed the small ring glittering in the faint light, 'this is exactly what we're looking for.'

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this was soo late. I had a lot of band and school things going on the last three weeks. Three hour band rehearsals, band auditions for next year, the tests we had to take in order to graduate were last week, we had district band competitions, two research papers due, a new research project assigned, and three tests I HAD to study for. And a talent show. Plus my basement was flooded so I'm out my bedroom (it was in the basement) until we get that fixed. Busy three weeks, like I said. **

**Also, the earthquake/tsunami in Japan hit my family and me hard. Not only are we part Japanese with family there, but also someone I grew up with, who is like an older brother to me, in the air force was stationed in Japan due to come home in less than a month and we didn't hear from him until three days after. We were worried sick. But it's all good in that department, he's set to be home in fourteen days still and family is all okay and for that, I am beyond thankful.**

**WD**

**3/19/11**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

Cecilia silently picking up the ring with delicate fingers and strode to a nearby table and dropped it near the center and then moving it so the stone faced up. Harry followed her unquestioningly, knowing what she was planning. Cici then held out her hand expectantly in front of Harry and waited. Harry glanced at the hand for a moment before realizing that she was waiting for him to get the instrument they would use to destroy the horcrux.

Harry pulled a small white pouch from his robes and drew from it a smooth, pale yellow fang. He placed it in Cecelia's outstretched hand and backed up, not wanting to interfere with her job, but still wanting to be close enough to offer support and help if needed.

Cici clutched the fang with steady hands as she turned back to the table. Her eyes closed and a deep breath filled her lungs as the small stone started glowing dark blue. He hand tightened on the fang and opened her eyes again. With a swift hand, she strode three steps forward and brought her hand down on the stone.

There was a pleasing crack resounding in the room. Cici raised her hand and looked sheepishly at the table that now had a long crack though the middle. "Oops…" She shrugged once, looking over her shoulders at Harry.

Harry let out a relieved sigh. "It's not like anyone was using this table anyway." He smiled and strolled up next to Cici while she collected the ring and slipped it into her pocket. "That was surprisingly easy."

Cici turned to face him. "Well, yeah. Voldemort never expected anyone to figure out his connection to this place, let alone get past the door."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, well…" He said, but then stopped, not knowing how to continue. "You know, let's just get going. I know Voldemort is going to be mad when Lucy returns to him and I really don't want to be halfway through apparating and walking into the Cave when that happens."

"Point." Cici replied. "Besides," She began as she pulled her hood back over her head and smoothed her disguised hair, "this is another horcrux down as well as twenty less Death Eaters to worry about. I believe that is cause for celebration tonight."

"Oh, yeah. We'll have a real party going; all two of us and a couple of butterbeers. Woo." Harry said sarcastically as he too covered his head once again with his hood, suddenly feeling fatigued from the previous fight, the adrenaline having worn off by then. Cici rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a spoil sport. I say we take a break tomorrow; we'll be tried from Voldemort's eminent anger burst, as well as magically exhausted from taking out twenty Death Eaters ourselves!" She sighed dramatically, her hand limply resting on her forehead while she leaned heavily on Harry's shoulder.

"We don't have the time to take a break. Breaking into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault is going to take a lot of planning, especially without the help of a goblin this time around." Harry said as he pushed her lightly off his shoulder.

"Oh, but brother dear, that's exactly why we must take a break! We need a nice little relaxing period before the months of planning and research and all that." She said pleadingly, once more fixing her hair.

Harry heaved an annoyed sigh. "You're not going to give it up, are you?"

Knowing she was about to win the argument, Cici clapped her hands joyfully, or as joyfully as one who had barely slept in three days can. "No, of course not!"

"Fine." Harry said, knowing he would probably regret it later.

A gleeful laugh left Cici's lips as she hugged her twin brother while they walked out the door. Harry glanced at his sister with a small smile gracing his lips. He hadn't seen her this gleeful and carefree in years, and it made him happy to know that even in the times of war they had always been a part of, she could still manage to act like a child. Harry's smile turned to a frown when Cici's laugh turned into a cough.

They wanted to be outside as little as possible at this time since there had just been an attempted Death Eater attack and the Ministry was likely to investigate the area soon, but in order to Apparate out, they had to pass the anti-apparation wards that extended across the property. They were halfway through the yard when they saw the figure. A figure cloaked head to toe in black. There was no mistaking that sort of person: a Death Eater.

He was heading straight toward them, blocking their path and cutting them off. He and Cecilia both stood a little taller and slipped their hands into their pockets, gripping their wands, not willing to attack unless attacked first. They waited in silence for the man to speak. He stood, casually fingering his wand as he inspected them.

After a few moments, the man opened his mouth to speak. "So, who are you two really, beneath those glamours you so skillfully placed." Harry and Cici's wands both fell a little. They knew that voice. It was a voice that had tormented them for years while they sat behind a desk. That was the voice of Severus Snape.

Harry and Cici's mouths worked, but no words came out. He knew they were under glamours as well. "Oh, yes, I'm perfectly aware that you are not showing your real appearances, and I'm positively dying to know who is beneath those false faces, those who have to power and skill to go into a battle with adult Death Eaters and come out not only alive, but having them all incapacitated."

He paused. Harry and Cici had relaxed slightly. They figured that unless Snape thought them Death Eaters themselves, they would be fairly safe. Snape may be a mean person, but he always looked out for others, and they had posed little threat, if the fact that they defeated twenty dark wizards a little threat. Snape spoke again, but Harry and Cecilia never took their eyes off his wand.

Snape's mouth moved, and words seemed to be coming out, but the twins never heard. For Harry, it started as a dull throbbing at the back of his mind, but continually grew until he couldn't ignore it. Cecilia however, felt her stomach tightening. Cramps shot pains though her middle and a groan escaped her lips. They felt nothing but a blinding fury and intense pain.

Pressing his scar in hopes to numb the pain, Harry fell to the ground, blood starting to flow from his head. Cecilia circled her arms around her middle and doubled over, following her brother to the ground.

They watched helplessly as Severus Snape stepped closer and kneeled down and pointed his wand at them. Slowly but surely, their worlds faded to black as Snape muttered the words that would blow their cover.

_"Finite Incantatem."_

* * *

**A/N: Soo, here's the next chapter. Sorry about it being late. If you didn't see on my profile, I haven't been allowed to update my story. I don't know why, but an error came up when I tried on Friday last week, also on Saturday and Sunday and a third time on Monday, but I stopped checking them because I was busy with school work. Teachers think because we've had a week off, we needed to do a ton of work all the sudden. Anyway, I'll try and post a new chapter earlier than Friday to make up for this past week, because I actually DID have this done for last week. I'll also post on Friday.**

**Shoutout to an anon. reviewer who reviewed each chapter last week. You're awesome; sorry that I didn't get the chapter up when you expected it to be!**

**WD**

**4/1/11**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

The two men watched fixedly as long, straight blonde hair turned a curly dark red, blue and brown eyes turned green, shorter blond hair became black and longer as well as messier. The two prone forms before them turned into Harry and Cecilia Potter.

"Severus…" Albus Dumbledore whispered hoarsely to the man next to him. "We must take them to safety. I'm afraid we need to know this whole story and won't be getting it until they are well again."

"Albus, I'm not sure it is safe to Apparate them in this state." Snape said as he picked his wand from the ground and wiped it off on his sleeve.

"A valid point, Severus, I'm afraid all we can do is make them comfortable and wait it out." He bent down and straightened them into a more comfortable position. When he turned Harry over, they were shocked to see that there was blood trailing down his face from his scar.

Snape was pacing and Dumbledore stood over the two students. "Albus, I don't mean to be pushy, but I doubt it will be safe to linger here much longer."

"I know, Severus, but we simply cannot leave them here in their incapacitated state."

"But Albus, I know Voldemort will—" He stopped speaking when a pained groan came from below them. Cecilia slowly attempted to sit up as Severus leaned down to help her sit. "Are you alright, Miss Potter?"

"Severus, I thought no Potter deserved compassion in your eyes." Dumbledore said with an amused smile gracing his lips.

"She is a student of my house and as such, she is treated the same as the other Slytherins." He stood glaring at the old professor.

Back on the ground, Cecilia turned to Harry and cleared the blood from his face and watched as he came around also. Harry gave an even more pained groan that Cici had and it turned the adults' attention to them. Harry held a hand to his head as he was helps to his feet by his sister.

"Ah, yes, now that you're both conscious and well, we must be going." Dumbledore said trying to user them along.

"We? No, not we." Cecilia said. "You two perhaps, but not us." She gestured to herself and Harry. "We still have things we need to do."

"Now Miss Potter, you're weak, you're obviously still in pain, and we need answers. It is with the best interest of everyone present that you come with us back to headquarters," said Snape as he moved forward to take her arm and pull her down the path.

"No!" She shook his hand off and pulled Harry further away. "Did you not just hear what I said? Harry and I have to finish what we started."

Dumbledore's smile vanished. "But that does not mean you have to go about it alone. The whole order is willing to help. I understand that you feel you must do this alone, but there are some many people will to do whatever it takes to keep you safe in the process."

Cecilia stared incredulously. "No, you don't understand." She took a dangerous step forward towards her teachers and away from Harry, desperately hoping her brother had enough strength to stand without support. "If you really understood, then you'd know why we don't want nor need help. I know you have our best interests at heart, but Harry and I have been taking care of ourselves for months. Just let us leave." She stepped back to Harry, who was starting to wobble slightly.

"Then," Dumbledore began, "at least tell us where you have been residing for this whole time."

Cici scoffed. "Why, so you can come and catch us unawares. I don't think so." She started pulled Harry toward to road. "We'll be taking our leave now; don't try to follow us."

Snape had drawn his wand and was about to go after them, but Dumbledore held out his hand to stop him. "We cannot stop them, Severus."

"That insolent child!" He glared in anger. In one last attempt to figure out where they were headed, Snape reached out with his mind and tried to reach into Cecilia's mind.

Cecilia was patient with Harry. He was still shaken and unsteady on his feet. They were almost far enough away from the house to Apparate when she felt it. It was only a slight pressure at the back of her mind, one that an average, unprotected mind would not have felt. But she felt it. Instantly she threw up her protective walls and forced the uninvited mind out.

To say she was angry at the attempted invasion would be an understatement; she was furious. She stopped and made sure Harry was slightly steady before she turned sharply on her heel. Snape watched as her red hair flew about her shoulders and knew he made a mistake—she had that look in her eyes, the same look Lily got when she was pissed.

"Severus. Snape. How dare you?" She fumed as she took a dangerous step forward. "How dare you try to break into my mind? You, who I looked up to, who was the first father like figure I ever had. You are going to regret it; maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but you will."

He held a hand to his head, dizzy from being forced from her head. "Where…how did you learn to shield your mind so well, so soon?"

"Do you really want to know everything so bad?" She waited for a response, but none came. She didn't need one though; she knew they did want to know. "You did." She reached into her robes as she continued, "And if you both want to know everything so bad, then here." She tossed at them a barrage of memories of both her and Harry's past lives as well as what they had been doing for the past months. She watched as they relived each of the memories in a span of a few minutes.

They looked at her through the unstoppable memories. "I'm done here." She threw at their feet the ring horcrux. "Take this back to your precious Order, whatever. Try as you might, you won't find us again. Happy memories." She turned sharply and grabbed the still weak Harry by his upper arm and turned on the spot leaving the two men behind.

* * *

**A/N: Well, yeah, don't shoot me. I know I said two chapters LAST week, but things came up. My body thought it was still spring break and decided to not go to bed until after midnight each week and sleep after school. Also, I had a lot of homework. And we started Romeo & Juliet. And well, a bunch of other things, but I won't bore you with any more details. I'm going to try and get the next chapter up tomorrow, but I am not going to make any promises. It might be on Saturday, or it might be next Friday. I don't know.**

**WD**

**PS: HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART ONE ON D.V.D. TOMORROW! :DDD**

**4/14/11**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

The sun was slowly sinking over the mountain peaks in the distance causing the magically enchanted ceiling of Hogwarts schools' Great Hall to show a stunning sunset as the students filed in for the first feast of the year. Everything was subdued, especially among the Gryffindors and Slytherins. Over the past summer, many of the Slytherins had lost a member or two of their families because of the Death Eaters being captured. The Gryffindors were saddened because one of their own, their star seeker, the Chosen One, has vanished before the previous school year had concluded.

Sitting near the end of the red and gold clad table were four students. They were ignored and were in return, ignoring the ongoings around them. They were alone for the first time together for months. No one would allow them to be alone over the summer.

"Do you think Harry and Cecilia are dead or in hiding?" Hermione asked.

Ron shook his head. "I don't think Harry or Cecilia are dead. No. If they had been captured and killed, everyone would know by this point."

"I know, and I've thought this over for so long this summer, but it just doesn't make sense that they would just up and leave." Hermione shook her head and started at her plate in thought.

Ginny tapped her chin. "I agree, 'Mione, but we know Harry and Cici. They are the type that would try and go off by themselves if they thought they would be protecting the ones they cared for. At this point, I think it's my best guess: that they're out there somewhere, thinking they're protecting us and doing something crazy to destroy Voldemort."

Neville, who had been looking rather solemn, cleared his throat and spoke, "I don't know whether or not there are hiding, fighting, or captured, but I know one thing for sure: there are not dead, and no matter where they are, I know they are doing what they can to protect us, because Ginny's right, they would do anything to protect us."

"This is nice and all, but has anyone else noticed how Dumbledore and Snape aren't here yet?" Hermione pointed out. Each of them turned to look at the Headmaster's and Potions Masters' empty seats.

Ginny shrugged and continued to eat her food silently. Hermione pushed her plate away while Neville and Ron talked about the next day and their classes. It was destined to be another long year.

~xXx~

The same sun set was being viewed from the office of one Albus Dumbledore where he and the Potions Master were sitting in a tense silence, still shocked by everything they had been forced to view in the last hour. Dumbledore was standing near the window that over looked the Black Lake and was lost in his thoughts. Snape was sitting in a chair in front of the Headmaster's desk with his arms resting heavily on his knees. He was rubbing his temples trying to soothe his aching head.

Dumbledore turned to look at the younger man before him. "Severus, I believe it wouldn't be wise to mention this to anyone."

Snape looked up from his legs. "So you just want to allow them to continue risking their lives?" He stood angrily when the man didn't respond. "You were going to train them this year, give them the necessary information to do what they are already doing and leave them to die?"

"Severus, you must understand why I decided to do what I did, what I was going to do." Dumbledore said as he sat down with a heavy sigh.

"No, I understand perfectly: you were only raising them and keeping them safe in order to do your dirty work and to die!" He turned sharply and stormed out of the office, being careful to slam the door after his departure.

Albus Dumbledore rested his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. He knew he was expected to be at the opening feast, but he didn't have the patience to attend and face the friends of the children's lives he had planned to serve to Voldemort on a silver platter.

Severus Snape had cooled down considerably by the time he reached the Great Hall. He stood at the door debating whether or not he should enter and endure the rest of the feast. After a few moments he decided to return to his rooms because the only reason he would have attended the feast in the first place would to have seen all the new Snakes, but since he had surely already missed the sorting he retired to his rooms. He also didn't want to risk the chance of having to face Albus again this evening.

Upon reaching his office, he sat in his chair and rubbed his temples again and let out an angry but frustrated cry. He fished through on of the drawers of his desk and pulled out a worn, folded piece of parchment.

Dear Severus,

I hope this letter finds you well. In all honesty, I didn't know if I was going to have enough courage to write this letter. I spent over and hour at my writing desk waiting for the right words to come to me. I know you probably don't want to be hearing from me, but I have to tell you this.

As you know, I recently had twins. Harry is an absolute delight; so funny and just like his father. But then there's Cecilia. She looks just like me and is so inquisitive but quite. I can already tell she will be different. I was given the task to choose Cecilia's godparents as James was to pick Harry's. I have picked you, Sev, to be Cici's godfather.

I know you probably want nothing to do with her, but please hear me out. I know we had a falling out a few years ago, but you were one of my best friends, you still are. I know you, Sev, and I know you will have trouble accepting this. In case something was to happen to myself and James, I want you to be the one to care for Cecilia. I have spoken to James about this and although he is less than happy with it, he has agreed that it would be better to separate the twins until they are older. If this is the case, when they do come together again, please protect them. It would put my mind to rest knowing that even if James and I are gone, they will still have someone watching over them.

Please, Severus, I will never ask anything of you again, if you do this for me.

Love, Lily

A single tear fell down the worn and tired face of Severus Snape. Everything he had done for the girl was a waste. Everything he had sacrificed for her would all be thrown away because of the "for the greater good" plans of the meddling old fool.

He sat a little straighter and wiped the tear from his face. He wouldn't let everything go to waste. He wouldn't allow Lily's last request of him to be failed. He would do everything within his power to save Cecilia and Harry Potter's lives.

* * *

**A/N: Bonjour tout le monde. (Please excuse my French!) I'm (maybe) back to my Friday schedule. Hopefully. Things were crazy this week, but we had today off, Good Friday and all…so that was nice. Ahh, only 29 more days of school left for me! And that's including the four days of exams (which are half days!) so really more like 25. Also, I'll be getting my learners permit for driving in the next week or so, so that's exciting! Anyways, I've actually started writing a new story (not posted…yet) and I'll try and keep up with this, but this idea sort of hit me one day and I've decided to finally get it down. Maybe once this is finished, I'll work on posting that! But let's not think of that yet, it's a long way off.**

**Happy Easter!**

**WD**

**4/23/11**


	25. Chapter 25

**Happy Easter!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Five

Across the country in the home of the Dumbledore family, two people sat quietly around the kitchen table staring at the wizarding newspaper spread out before them. They were quite shocked to see what was on the headlines.

**Headmaster of Hogwarts Claims Potter Twins are Safe**

The Wizarding World was thrown into a panic last June when the famous Potter Twins were found missing the morning after the break in at the Ministry of Magic where You-Know-Who himself made an appearance. Over the last few months there have been hundreds of searches across the world for the Chosen One and his sister but nothing turned up. There have been no traces or whispers of the two children for all this time. Yesterday evening, Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, released a statement saying that the duo that disappeared from his school at the end of the last school year are in fact safe and unharmed in a disclosed location for their own safety. "I have personally spoken with them recently and they wish for the searches to cease and for the world to know that they are perfectly fine. No further comment." Is it true? Are the last living Potters actually safe? Is Dumbledore lying to save himself after they managed to escape without his knowledge? Or were they actually capture by Death Eaters mere hours after the attack on the Ministry?

Cecilia stared, openmouthed, at the article. Even after everything they had said and put his through, he still did this for them. Without the constant searches for them, their tasks would be quite a bit easier. "After everything I said and the memories I forced on him. He still did this for us?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know what to think about this." They sat in silence again, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Harry," Cecilia began after a fair amount of time had passed. "I've been thinking and I want to run an idea by you."

Harry raised his head. "Okay, shoot."

"Well, remember how we talked about getting into Hogwarts to stop Draco from trying to kill Dumbledore."

Harry raised his eyebrow. "You said stopping Malfoy, I said just destroying the cabinet and letting him suffer."

"Yes well, that won't stop him from accidentally harming others. Anyway, I have a plan." She said.

"Oh, no…" Harry sighed, not liking where this was going.

"Common, just give it a chance!" She pouted.

"Fine." He reluctantly agreed knowing he would probably regret it later.

~xXx~

Harry and Cecilia stood at the door to their temporary home. "Please, don't get caught!" Harry pleaded with his sister as he reluctantly relinquished his invisibility cloak over to her.

"Oh, please. Have a little faith in me!" She grabbed the slippery cloth and threw it over her shoulders. Harry opened the door for her and waited long enough for her to exit before closing it again.

Cecilia made her way to the end of the pathway leading to the house and turned sharply, her mind set on the small village of Hogsmead. She landed easily on her feet and did a quick scan to make sure no one noticed. No one did.

It was a normal day in the small wizarding village; people were rushing around, going about their daily business. Cecilia walked quietly through the town, dodging people every so often from under the Invisibility cloak. She came closer to the sweet shop, Honeydukes, where she would use the passage in the cellar to enter Hogwarts undetected.

She slipped in the door after a small group of people and carefully made her way around the serving counter and to the door that leads to the cellar. Luckily, the door was slightly cracked and she managed to slide in after inching the door open a little further.

She made her way down the stairs and heaved a sigh, thanking the heavens that she made it this far without incident. She levitated the tile off of the entrance to the tunnel, took the cloak off and stuffed it into the pocket of her robes, and dropped into the passageway, ready for the hour long trip ahead of her.

She traveled along until she knew she was within the castle grounds, at which she grabbed and unfolded the Marauders' Map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." She whispered after she had retrieved her wand from her pocket. She continued on until she came to the exit. "Lumos." She found herself on the map and searched around the third floor for any sign of people nearing.

She watched as Snape passed directly in front of her on his way to the defense room. She waited for another few minutes to make sure he was staying in the room. She carefully pulled the cloak over herself once more and opened the passage. "Nox."

She travelled up four flights of stairs to the seventh floor and walked to the Room of Requirement, hoping she wouldn't have to wait too long for Draco to show up. She passed in front of the door three times and slipped inside just as the last classes of the day let out.

She took the cloak off again and placed it back into her pocket while she made her way to where she knew the vanishing cabinet was located. She made her way to a nearby table and swiped her hand across the surface, clearing the junk from it. She sat herself down cross-legged and opened the Marauders' Map again, searching through the school for not only Draco, but also her friends.

She saw in the Gryffindor common room Ron, Ginny and Neville were all sitting around where she knew the fire was. In the Headmaster's office, Snape paced while the former sat at his desk. Luna Lovegood was down by the lake and Hermione was in the library. Blaise was also in the library but on the opposite end. She saw three dots move onto the Seventh floor: Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle.

"Mischief managed." She muttered as she tapped the map once again and folded it up. It was time: she would be seeing her best Slytherin friend for the first time in almost five months.

* * *

**A/N: Heeey! New chapter after two days? THAT'S CRAZY TALK! I had a lot of time on my hands and…well, I wrote this. Even though it was a holiday weekend, my family didn't do anything special and my dad is out of town and we all prefer to be off in our own little worlds. But there was lot's of candy. And unicorn stickers! I love those things…THEY'RE SPARKLEY! Sorry…I'm tired and may or may not be on a sugar high…heheehe…I love Easter…**

**WD**

**PS: This was to make up for my failures in keeping my promises and updating on time this past month. **

**4/24/11**


	26. Author's note

**ALL AN AUTHOR'S NOTE, SORRY.**

**Hey all, sorry I didn't get a chapter up on Friday, but some things came up. My Internet is down and so is my computer. If you've been following the U.S.'s weather, it's been pretty bad in the Midwest. Which is where I live. Well, long story short, there was some lightening and it blew up our router and my computer and our xbox and a lot of things. I don't know where it will be back, and I don't even know if I'll end up with my work back. I might have to start the chapter over. I'm at a public library right now, because I wanted you all to know what happened and that I'll try to get here often enough to keep up with the story, but I don't know how that will work. I've got a busy week ahead so I probably won't get much done. I hope I can get a chapter up on Friday or hopefully by next week. Sorry again. These things happen, right?**


	27. Chapter 26

PRAISE THE LORD, THE INTERNET IS BACK!

* * *

Chapter Twenty Six

Draco glared at the incompetent fools before him and heaved a sigh. They were the best he had at his service. "You know the drill." He passed three times before a space of wall thinking of the room he needed.

He passed into the room with another sigh. He didn't want to be doing what he was set to do. He was making pitiful attempts on purpose, to delay his "task" as long as possible, to spread it out through as much of the school year as possible. Slowly, he made his way toward the large cabinet, the Vanishing Cabinet, and pulled out his wand.

He stared at the piece of furniture for a long moment, not doing anything, his wand hanging limply at his side, just stalling. Finally, he plucked up enough energy and courage to reach out to grasp the door and pulled it open.

"You're not really going to do that, are you, Draco?" Came a voice from behind him. It was a voice, one he recognized with ease, but also one he thought he wouldn't be hearing for a long time, if ever again.

Draco turned so suddenly, shocked at the voice he was hearing. "Cecilia." He whispered in disbelief. "That…that can't be you…can it?" Draco stuttered, not believing his own eyes. "You're supposed to be in some top secret hiding place!"

She was sitting on the edge of a table, her legs swinging back and forth like a child's would when they cannot reach the ground. She was leaning forward, resting her hands on the table on each side of her. "Well, Draco, for your safety and my own, I am. And if this doesn't go according to plan, I better stay that way." She glared warningly before her face turned more serious. "But that's not why I'm here." She paused, letting the news sink into Draco's shocked face.

His face turned from shock to anger. "HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME?" He fumed, his face turning slightly red from his anger. "HOW COULD YOU JUST UP AND LEAVE?"

"DRACO XAVIER MALFOY!" Cici shouted to stop him in the middle of his tirade. She waited a moment for him to cool down a bit. "I had no choice."

"You always have choices, Cici. Always."

"I had to do what was best for not only me, but also the majority of the world, I couldn't just think about myself or you. It's bigger than that now. I had to think about everyone else." Cecilia said; her green eyes looking at the floor as she slid off the table.

"The weight of the world shouldn't be on your shoulders." He stated sadly, his eyes downcast, looking at her feet. When he raised his head next, it had morphed into a perfect Malfoy mask, cold and emotionless. "Why are you here, Cici?" Draco asked.

"What you're doing, Draco, I can't let you go through with it." She said simply, twisting a strand of her fiery red hair around one finger sub-consciously.

His steel gray eyes narrowed into slits suspiciously. "How do you know what I'm doing; what The Dark Lord is planning?"

"I…" She paused for a moment, tapping her chin. "I have my ways. And since when is he 'The Dark Lord' to you?"

"Since…" He trailed off and shook his head. "You wouldn't understand…"

"How do you know?" She shook her head slowly and flexed her left hand unconsciously. "I understand more than you think, Draco, but this? You can't do it. Please, I can't let you turn into one of them."

Draco walked a few feet away and turned his back on her when he spoke again. "I don't have a choice, Cecilia." He said harshly over his shoulder.

"Please, Draco. Don't do this; don't shut me out. I want to help you. I can't lose you too; I've already lost so many."

He turned sharply, his right hand ripping up the left sleeve of his white button-up shirt, the buttons popping off and clattering to the floor. He had revealed the daunting black tattoo of the Dark Lord. "YOU SEE!" He yelled harshly, his gray eyes cold. "I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!"

She looked at him for a split second before she took a step closer and tugged up the left sleeve of her black jacket revealing her own Dark Mark. "There's always another choice, Draco. Always." She whispered, throwing his own words back at him.

His eyes started blazing as he grabbed her arm in a bruising grip. "When?" It took all his self-control to not blow up in anger. The only person he ever had sworn to protect was deeply injured beyond repair. Once marked with the Dark Mark, it can never be removed until the Dark Lord ceased to live.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me." He challenged.

"Well," She paused, deciding if she should tell him the truth or have the strength to lie. "You see, Draco, I'm not really from this timeline. Harry and I, we were…killed during the last war with Voldemort and we were sent back in time two years. We ended up back in the Department of Mysteries four months ago." As she spoke, his grip on her wrist tightened.

"You're right; I don't believe you," He said simply, his eyes untrusting as he finally released his arm.

"Use Occulmency on me. Look into my memories."

"I…I can't, Cici, not on you."

"If it's the only way I can prove it to you, then I have no choice. You have no choice. I need you to believe me. I need you to listen." Cecilia spoke softly, she emerald eyes pleading she said as she took a step forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. "You're my best friend, Draco" she began again, her voice getting softer with each word she spoke, "I can't stand the thought of losing you too."

Draco gazed deeply into her eyes for a few minutes. He could see the truth, the hurt behind her eyes. He knew she wasn't lying. He reached up and took her hands in his own. "I believe you." He saw her breathe a sigh of relief. He also sighed as he released her hands and lowered his own to his sides. "I still don't see why you're here though."

Cecilia smiled and was back to her bubbly self again. "To take you away, of course!" He stared blankly for a moment. Cici sigh in frustration. "You don't want to do this job Voldemort set you out to do, but Voldemort will kill you if you don't do it. So we leave, go into hiding." She said as she lifted herself back to her seat on the table again, scooting to make room for Draco to join her.

Draco jumped up next to her and spoke. "But if he finds out I'm gone, he'll use my mum to get to me. My mum wants nothing to do with this Death Eater business my father has forced upon us; I can't leave her to that fate."

"Already one step ahead of you. While I snuck into the castle, Harry set out to get your mum."

Draco perked up a bit at that. "Well, in that case, I have no problem leaving this school. So, what's the plan now?"

"We wait until dinner has begun," Cici started, "then you send off Crabbe and Goyle to the meal without you, and once everyone is down at dinner, I'll lead you to my favourite passage and Apparate us to the safe house."

"Well, that seems simple enough…"

"That's the idea. Harry says the simpler the plan, the harder they are to mess up. And I have knack for messing things up." Draco raised his eyebrows at her inquiringly. She smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "It's a talent."

For the next hour, Draco and Cecilia chatted amicably until it was rounding on the time for dinner. Draco stood and cracked his back and the two nodded at each other as Draco moved to the door. Cecilia stayed back so she wasn't in view of the two standing guard.

"Guys, dinner is in a few minutes, I just need to finish up one more thing here and I'll be down. Go on ahead without me." Cici heard Draco say to his two goons.

"But, Draco, what if someone is walking by when you leave—" The high pitched voice of a little girl drifted back to Cici before Draco cut her off.

"Just do what I say. I will be fine. Now leave." His voice and tone had lowered considerably. Cici heard the scuffing of shoes on in the hall and smiled. Part one of "The Escape Plan" achieved.

Draco slid back inside and smiled at his friend. Cici grinned right back as she brought from inside her jacket pocket a flowing, water-like cloak and dangled it in front of his face.

"Is that…" He paused for a moment. "Is that an invisibility cloak?" He asked as he reached out to touch it and let it flow through his fingers.

"Why yes, yes it is."

"Where did you get it?" He was still running it through his fingers.

"It's been passed down through the Potter family for generations."

She grabbed the cloak from Draco's hands and tossed it over herself and Draco. "Let's go." She pulled out the Marauders' Map and glanced over the seventh floor area to find most students have gone to dinner. They stepped out of the room and Cecilia directed him to the secret passage that led to Hogsmead.

Cecilia jumped into the passage first, soon followed by Draco and her put the cloak back away. "Now we just need to get past Hogwarts' anti-apparition wards and I can get us out of here."

Draco only nodded as the climbed downhill in silence. Eventually, Cecilia shot out her hand to stop Draco. "We just passed the wards. It's safe to Apparate." She grabbed his hand and twisted on the spot without warning.

With a loud crack, the two landed in a small garden along a pathway leading to a quaint little home. At that same time, another crack was heard and two more figures landed a foot in front of Cici and Draco.

"Sorry about that, Mrs. Malfoy." It was the voice from the smaller of the two figures.

Cecilia smiled when she recognized her brother and her best friend's mother. Cecilia was in the middle of helping Draco to his feet; he had fallen after the abrupt travelling.

Harry happened to glance their way also and gave a laugh. "You missed the sidewalk again, Cici?" She huffed at his laughing after Draco was on his feet again.

"Draco, dear, are you okay?" Mrs. Malfoy asked as she started brushing invisible dirt from her son.

He pushed her worried hands away. "I'm fine, Mother."

"Can't you allow me to worry?" She huffed at her son.

Harry shushed them both and gestured to the small, comfortable home they were in front of. "Welcome to our safe house or, as Cici and I call it, the Cave." He opened the door and led them into their new temporary home.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! As you can see, I got my Internet back. It actually got fixed on Wednesday, but I wasn't able to get on then, and Thursday I got up and 5 am and didn't stop until 9:30 that night. So I finished this today and made it EXTRA long since I've been away for so long. The good news is the weather has calmed (sorta, now it's ridiculously hot for May.) Lots of things going on, end of the year things. Spring concert, graduation, last essays of the year, exams. You know… the usual. I only have ten days left and then 4 days of exams! YES! And then that means there will only be a month until marching starts up again for parade week! Ah, sorry, I just realized this was a long ramble. Bu-bye!**

**~WD**

**5/14/11**


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

Lucius Malfoy huffed as he paced his study, turning harshly on his heel. He returned home to find his wife gone. Instantly he had become suspicious. Sure, his wife obeyed him, but he knew she was never really supporting of their cause. He would give her one hour to return and in the meantime, he was going to write to Draco to see how his project is going.

~xXx~

Dinner was always a happy affair at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and this particular night was no different. Hundreds of students munched happily as they chatted with friends. No one noticed that missing blond boy from the Slytherin House. It had become something that his classmates were used to, the Malfoy Heir disappearing for hours at a time and only showing up for one meal a day.

A jet black owl flew into the hall. It glided over the Slytherin table for a few moments before heading to Snape at the Head table. It dropped the letter in the middle of the Potion Master's half full plate before letting out a squawk and flying from the hall again.

The greasy haired man picked up the letter and opened it. His eyes scanned the letter for a moment before he swiftly stood and made his way to the Slytherin table. Many eyes followed his movements. He reached the sixth year Slytherins and leaned down and quietly spoke with them. There was a few heads shaken in the negative before one of Malfoy's painfully blunt goons said something.

Snape looked as if he wanted to give the boy a swift kick in the head. He turned sharply on his heel and swept from the room, his cloaks billowing out behind him more than usual.

He made his way to the seventh floor and found the patch of wall that the Slytherin boy had told him about. He paced by three times, thinking of the room he needed. To his surprise, a door did actually appear. Cautiously, he pushed his way in. There seemed to be no movement from inside. Snape let out a breath he hadn't realized he's been holding.

"Draco?" He called out to his godson, hoping an answer would be heard. Nothing, just an empty, eerie, deafening silence. He fumed as he left the room again. Dinner had recently ended and students were milling about in the main halls. But Snape didn't stop to glare…except at the Weasleys. He was headed directly to the Headmaster's office where he would address the issue that had arisen: his missing student.

~xXx~

Two hours had come and passed before the eldest Malfoy blew up. It was well after seven p.m. and his wife had yet to return. He knew he should have known not left her alone. Narcissa Malfoy's closet and room had been emptied. What little was left seemed to have been thrown around, not in a struggled sort of way, but in a hurried packing way. There was no denying it; she was gone.

~xXx~

"Surely you aren't saying a student has gone missing, Severus. That is highly unlikely." An old man with half-moon spectacles spoke to the younger man in the chair in front of his desk.

"Yes, Draco received a letter during dinner and he wasn't there. I inquired of his friends where the boy had gone to and the Crabbe boy answered that he was in some secret room on the seventh floor."

"Ah, Severus, my boy, you mustn't be falling for the students pranks. No, no, I'm sure that the Malfoy boy merely retired to his dorm a little earlier than usual." Dumbledore shuffled through some documents on his desk before looking up.

The younger man glared. "Do you really believe that, Albus, or are you just trying to convince yourself that you haven't lost another student?" He pushed back from his chair and stormed from the room, making sure to slam the door as he exited.

~xXx~

He was pacing his study restlessly. It was after 11 p.m. and he had just received the most unnerving news from Hogwarts.

Lucius,

Draco's gone missing. Dumbledore won't acknowledge it.

S. Snape

He was pacing because he didn't know how to go about things at this point. Should he go to Hogwarts in the morning to confront Dumbledore about losing another child from his school? Should he go about things quietly? He wasn't sure but he knew he had to do something about it and soon. The Dark Lord was becoming impatient. The blond haired man unconsciously rubbed his left forearm as he finally decided what to do.

~xXx~

"Oi! Potter, Cici, Mum, you gotta see this!" The shout seemed to be coming from nowhere; that is until there was a shimmering gleam in the air as a silvery cloth was pulled away revealing a blond boy. He tossed the invisibility cloak over the hook near the door and held up a copy of a newspaper from two days prior as three other entered the entrance hall.

Cecilia Potter snatched the copy of The Daily Prophet from her friends hand. On the front page was a large photo of one Albus Dumbledore. She started reading aloud.

"Albus Dumbledore, famed Headmaster of Hogwarts School, Supreme Mugwump of the I.C.W. and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, seems to have a knack for losing students left under his care. Almost six months ago, the famous Potter Twins went missing from the castle after the break in at the Ministry of Magic. At the time, it had been believed to be the work of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters, but it came to light almost a month ago that Dumbledore "hid" them for their safety. One Draco Malfoy, son of esteemed and generous Ministry Benefactor, Lucius Malfoy went missing three days ago directly from Hogwarts School. One source stated that yesterday morning, Lucius Malfoy stormed into the Great Hall during breakfast demanding to know if he [Dumbledore] had moved his son to safe location too, or if he allowed the boy to be stolen away in the night. Is the young Malfoy boy really missing? Has he been moved to a "safe house" against the elder Malfoy's knowledge? Is Dumbledore trustworthy to leave our children in the care of anymore? More on page seven."

Cecilia folded the paper up and looked up to the others who had been intently listening. "Well, that can't be good."

Harry took the paper from his sister and started walking back to the family room. "Serves him right. I'll be in here, reading the paper." Narcissa followed Harry out of the room and returned to the kitchen where she had been making dinner when her son returned.

Cici shrugged her shoulders and turned to Draco. "You weren't seen or anything?"

Draco shooed away her worries. "Of course not."

"You know I get nervous when people leave. There always a risk of someone seeing us." She said as she followed Draco into the living room where Harry was stretched out reading the paper.

"Yes, but it's so boring being cooped up here all the time." He whined as he plopped into a large, cushy armchair.

"Well, it wasn't that bad before, with just me and Harry. We were able to get away from each other when things were tense." Cici sighed as she moved to the couch where Harry was and swatted his legs down so she could sit. "This house is just too small for four people."

Harry folded down the paper at this point and glared at Cici. "I blame you. It was your idea to help them."

Cici swatted his head. "He's my best friend and my best friend's mum, what would you have done?"

"Touché." Harry leaned back again the couch and opened his paper, letting the small house fall into a comfortable silence for the rest of the night.

* * *

**A/N: Late chapter is late…**

**In my defense, it's been pretty hectic. The end of the year is upon us and I've had a bunch of things going on. I had two graduation ceremonies to attend, a TON of homework to prepare for exams, and other end of the year things. I'm posting this against my parents' will because I SHOULD be studying for my five exams next week. I'll be really busy with studying, but I should be able to post a new chapter this coming week because on Tuesday & Thursday I'm done at school at 11:30 and then on Wednesday & Friday I'm done at 9:45. THEN IT'S SUMMER! Which means I'll be able to post regularly because I won't have homework (minus my A.P. history summer assignment) or school! I love the end of the year. *insert wistful sigh***

**~WD**

**5/27/11**


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

Three people, no more than seventeen, if even that age, were quietly leaving a house at six in the morning as the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon. They tip-toed down the path and exited the gate, wincing as the gate creaked as it was opened. The tallest of the three breathed a sigh of relief and immediately he was hushed by the shortest one. The boy and girl seemed to have a silent argument before the girl reached out and roughly grabbed his shoulder and disappeared from the spot. The third member of the group held his hand to his forehead, shaking his head at the antics of the others before he too disappeared.

At the door the trio had just exited, another figure appeared. She was wearing a white fluffy robe which she pulled tighter around her body because of the harsh December winds. Her long, curly blonde hair flew around her as she glared at the empty space that had just been occupied. She tucked her hands in her elbows, trying to keep them warm as she whispered into the morning sun. "I don't know what you've been planning, but you all better get back here safe." She shook her head and turned back into the warmth of the house and shut the door softly.

~xXx~

The redheaded girl smacked the head of the blond boy she had dragged from their home. "You don't understand the meaning of 'sneaking out,' do you, Draco?"

Draco rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Of course I do!"

"Well you're not very good at it." Cecilia's emerald green eyes rolled at her friend's defensiveness before pushing her hair from her eyes.

There was another pop and Harry appeared next to his sister and roommate. "Done arguing yet? Because if you're not, I'm out." Harry casually pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

Draco huffed and remained silent as he pulled a hat lower over his head and fixed the collar of his jacket and brushed off invisible dirt from his…abrupt…departure from the Cave. Cici again rolled her eyes as she too pulled a hat from her pocket and pulled it low over her auburn hair, almost covering her eyes.

The trio was just outside of a forest near a mostly muggle town with a few wizarding families. One household in particular that was situated just outside of the town was the reason for their visit. The small somewhat shabby home just outside of the town was their target destination. The visit wasn't a social visit; it was an ambush of an ambush.

Harry tilted his head toward the forest along the winding road. "Shall we?" They made their way into the forest, making sure to clear away their footprints as they went, and followed along the edge of the forest until the familiar home came into view.

The trio settled down a little ways into the forest at a spot where they could still see the house. A prime spying spot, if you will. Harry placed a few privacy spells around the area and returned to the other two who were arguing over the appearances they were going to take.

"No way! I'm not going to let you turn me into a ginger!" Draco shouted at his friend.

"Draco, the whole point of changing appearances is so that no one will have a chance to recognize us, and no one would suspect some ginger to be Draco Malfoy in disguise." Cici huffed, annoyed with his arguing.

"No. I refuse!" He folded his arms across his chest stubbornly.

"Draco, you are the one that wanted to come along on this mission. You knew and agreed to the rules and one of those was to allow me to change your appearance. You don't really get a say in what you look like."

"Then why not make Harry a ginger?" He point in Harry's direction while Harry watched on with an amused smirk gracing his face.

"Because Harry and I already have our set appearances as Fire and Ice. You're coming into the picture as Wind. Now stop arguing and let me get to work." Cecilia snapped, pointing her wand threateningly as him.

"And while we're on the topic of names," Draco continued, ignoring Cici's warning. "Why do I have to be wind? Why can't I be Fire?" He nodded his head towards Harry who was shaking his head in slight amusement at their argument.

"Because, Draco, Harry and I have been Fire and Ice since before we left Hogwarts. We're not going to just go change that. You're wind because wind is also dangerous. Fire, Ice, and Wind: in battle, by themselves, they're dangerous, but together, they're a natural disaster." Cici let a smirk grace her face for a moment before she frowned. She waved her wand and a gag appeared around Draco's mouth.

He protested and attempted to remove it but it didn't' budge. He growled and angrily re-crossed his arms. Cici smirked again and set to work on changing Draco's appearance to an unrecognizable one.

A half hour later, Cici stood back, finally content with his appearance. She allowed him to take off the gag and check over his appearance. His face looked less aristocratic, his hair was now a dark brown that looked almost auburn and his eyes were a light shade of blue. One would never have recognized him as Draco Malfoy.

Cecilia then walked to Harry, who had been sitting silently on the ground, lost in his own thoughts while Draco was made over, and started changing him into his alternate appearance. It didn't take her nearly as long to change Harry and soon she was awkwardly changing her own appearance.

The time was approaching. The Death Eaters were near and the occupant and guest of the house they were hiding near had returned home. The trio had changed into their robes and had their hoods pulled low over their faces so the only thing visible was their mouths and chins and the last six inches of Cici's now blond hair. They moved out of the forest, but they stuck to the edge while they waited.

Then there were numerous pops around the area and a few dozen people dressed in black cloaks and silver masks appeared. The Death Eaters had arrived. There was over twenty of them, all headed to the small, shabby home of Remus Lupin. Said person looked out his window in alarm and saw the danger. He and his current guest, one Sirius Black, were halfway out the door when the Death Eaters made their first move.

That was the trio's cue to move. It was time to reveal the third member of their group.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this is a day late, but yesterday I was at a birthday/end of the school year party. Anyway, I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, but I guess it's okay. But the good thing is that it is now my summer break! **

**In regards to the coming summer:**

**I should be pretty regular with updates for at least a month (most of June). I have summer work for my AP U.S. history class for next year, band camp (August), parade week for band (tail end of June and early July), and softball (twice a week through middle of July) to do this summer (oh, & I'm still working on that driving thing), but I should still have time to write this. And I will try to keep on this because in October, it'll have been two years that I've been working on this and I would like to finish it before then. I only have it planned for 40ish chapters, but that's only if I can follow the outline, and that may or may not happen. I hope I can…Anyway, happy summer and all that.**

**~WD**

**6/5/11**


	30. Chapter 29

Please don't hate me for the long absence! I made an extra long chapter to make up for it! *smiles sheepishly*

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine

One Sirius Orion Black had been having a terrible time ever since he found out that the headmaster had known all along where his dead best friend's children were and refused to tell him where exactly they were. For these months he had taken refuge at his only remaining best friend's home in order to avoid the old wizard. He had made it a point to not attend any of the Order meetings since he found out regardless of the fact that they were being held in his house.

At that current moment, he was being led through his ancestor's home by Remus Lupin, albeit unwillingly. The only reason he had agreed to attend the oncoming Order of the Phoenix meeting was because Dumbledore had demanded every member be present because there was important information to be presented.

They had arrived very close to the time at which the meeting was scheduled to begin. They entered the packed kitchen and stayed near the edge and waited. And waited some more. Finally Dumbledore strode into the room with Severus Snape following close behind him. He made his way through the crowded kitchen and stood at the end of the table and waited for Snape to take a seat to his right.

"Sorry for my tardiness. I had some last minute things to take care of at the school." Dumbledore said as he launched into the meeting. "For the first order of business: one of my students, Draco Malfoy. As you are probably aware, he has recently gone missing. I know most of you probably do not care so much of his fate because of his heritage, but I ask that you all keep your eyes and ears open for word of his whereabouts." Dumbledore said over the eye rolls and protests from the members.

Sirius was silently fuming in the back of the kitchen and had only restrained to that point because of the calming hand of his friend on his shoulder but he could no longer stay silent. He shook off the hand and stepped forward in fury. "Oh, that's rich. You're going to have us on a mad man hunt for him and then reveal months later that he's perfectly safe and you knew all along exactly where he was, aren't you?" He sneered at the old man as Remus pulled him back.

Sirius was fuming. If Dumbledore thought for one moment that Sirius would search for that Malfoy boy, he had another thing coming. After the last time he had them searching all in vain for the Potter twins while he was probably sitting back and laughing at their efforts. Sirius had lost many, many hours of sleep worrying about Harry and Cecilia and he wasn't about to go through the same thing with another person only to have it end the same way.

Sirius had calmed every-so-slightly and decided it was safe to tune back into the meeting. He tuned back in just in time for the Headmaster to turn to Snape. Said man nodded his head slightly and reluctantly stood from his seat next to the Headmaster. "There has been talk among the Death Eaters of ambushes of the members of the Order. I have heard that the Dark Lord has acquired a list of the members, somehow. I believe that the others have become suspicious of my involvement with the Order; I'm being included less and less with the Inner Circle going-ons." He quickly sat back down as the Order members broke out into pandemonium.

There were shouts coming across the board, most asking who was the first planned target and such. Dumbledore waited patiently for the shouts to die down and when the end seemed nowhere in sight, he stood again and slowly the chatter started to die down. "Like Severus said, we have no real way of knowing who is being targeted and when. The only thing I can say is that it is not wise to be without another to help protect. Be cautious and always be alert.

"Don't take any risks; make sure you always have your wand on your person. The Death Eaters know where you live, we don't know how, but they do. I regret that it is on this sorrowful note that I must end this meeting. Good day and be careful." He nodded his head slightly, dismissing the people.

There was silence for a moment as the members took in the abrupt dismissal and the idea that they could be attacked at any moment in their own homes, homes that should be their safe havens. Eventually people started leaving, usually in pairs or two or more. Remus gently grabbed Sirius' arm and started to lead the still fuming man from the room and to the floo. They exited the floo in a nearby wizard-owned pub and walked the rest of the way to Remus' home. Sirius remained silent through the whole trip and allowed himself to be led by his remaining best friend.

They made it to the house without any problems, for which they were grateful. Remus led his friend silently through his house and forced him to sit at the kitchen table while he made some tea with a calming draught mixed in. Remus knew that his friend was mad beyond words and it worried Remus. He decided to try and ignore his worry and busied himself with making the tea. He contemplated the Order meeting, the end more so than the rest as he stared out the window to the nearby forest as he put the tea kettle on.

A slight movement caught his eye. It had been a slight swish of a black cloak, the same black cloak that Death Eaters wore. Trying to stay calm, he continued to look out the window as if he hadn't noticed. He spoke over his shoulder to Sirius, hoping his friend had cooled down enough to think rationally. "Sirius, listen carefully to me and stay calm. Death Eaters are here. I need you to go to the floo and call the Headquarters and get anyone still left here now. Quick!"

Sirius nodded and seemed to forget his anger. He hurried out of the room and Remus heard the floo flare to life

Remus gripped his wand tightly in his hand that wasn't fiddling with the tea kettle. His eyes raked across the outskirts of the forest several times. He was slightly confused; there was a large group of Death Eaters but there was another, much smaller group of people on the opposite side who did not seem to be Death Eaters.

Sirius returned to the kitchen. Remus could tell right away that things had not gone well. Sirius was pale and had started pacing. "No one answered. I yelled and waited, but it seems that the place has cleared out thoroughly and no one's coming. We're on our own."

Remus muttered an expletive and turned form the window. "Okay then, let's get outside of the wards. The last thing I was to see is my house destroyed."

Both men gripped their wands a little tighter and made their way outside just as the Death Eaters started marching towards the men. Remus glanced back to where he had seen the other people. They had disappeared. _'Good at least we don't have to worry about innocent people being attacked.'_ He thought as they two parties halted.

The Death Eaters and two members of the Order of the Phoenix present faced off. There was a deafening silence as a Death Eater walked in front of the group. "You might as well give up now, Black. You're obviously outnumbered by _seven_ to one." The man said as he gestured to the thirteen–sixteen, actually–others behind him.

Sirius scoffed at him. "Yeah, right. In case you haven't noticed, you had to send a whole army to face two people. If that doesn't say anything about your dueling skills then I don't know what does." He smirked, not worried a bit about the uneven odds.

A mocking laugh rang out, the source unknown. "Yeah, you _would_ think that Death Eaters are all sneaky and cunning and smart." It came from the back of the group of Death Eaters and was obviously mocking them. The large group parted so they could see the people openly mocking them. There were three people that didn't move. They were all wearing the standard Death Eater robes and masks.

Another voice spoke, this time female. "Seriously, you bunch are about the daftest people I've ever met, and I've met a lot of daft people in my time." At this point, the trio started removing their fake Death Eater masks and tossed them to the ground carelessly.

The third and final member of the group spoke. "We aren't Death Eaters. We aren't members of the Order of the Phoenix, either. But we are going to kick your arses." They simultaneously pulled strings tied around their necks and dropped the black outer cloaks to reveal robes of intense color. One was a fiery red, another was an icy blue and the final one was a silvery grey.

Several Death Eaters recognized the tell-tale red and blue robes of the deadly 'Fire & Ice' duo and fled the scene, not wanting to have to face the ministry. The nine that remained to fight gripped their wands even tighter, their knuckles turning white. Over half were facing the trio, the other few were facing the two Order members. There was an almost visible tension in the air as each person waited for someone to make the first move.

As if communicating silently, the trio that called themselves Fire, Ice and Wind, the Natural Disasters, moved at the same time. Each fired off a simple stunning spell with deadly precision and each hit their intended targets.

The fight continued in a full scale for a few minutes before each Death Eater slowly fell, mostly be the wands of the infamous trio. Only two remained after a quarter of an hour and they both were aware the battle was lost. One apparated away while the other surrendered his wand to his attackers and asked "Who are you?" to the unknown third member of the trio in the silvery grey robes.

Said member stepped forward proudly. "You've faced the burning Fire and the freezing cold Ice, now it's time to meet the raging Wind. I may appear calm and cool, but somewhere, there's always a storm raging." The final attacker paled further and quickly apparated away, leaving his wand.

The three now jumped again into action. They pulled from their robes several wristbands and started towards the fallen attackers. Ice made her way toward the two Order members, one of which was currently unconscious on the ground with several broken bones and gashes. She kneeled next to the fallen form of Remus Lupin. She waved her wand f his fallen form and muttered several spells. The results of her spells seemed to worry her because instantly she grabbed one of the wristbands and whispered 'Mungos' as she snapped it on his (broken) wrist. She placed him under a stasis spell before she pointed her wand at him and whispered 'activate.' With a swoosh of wind, he disappeared from the scene. She stood and turned to survey the rest of the scene now that her main concern was taken care of. The other two were taking care of the final Death Eaters and sending them to the Ministry.

Sirius was glaring hatefully at Ice. "Where did you send him?" He demanded, shakily pointing her wand at her.

"I portkeyed him to the St. Mungos emergency ward. He was badly injured." She replied, not bothering to raise her wand in self-defense. She was busy making another portkey to send him to St. Mungos to get patched up and be with his friend. She tossed it at him and he, out of habit, caught it.

"And where exactly are you sending me?" He asked harshly, untrusting of these people he had never met before.

Ice ignored him question and pointed her wand at him. "Activate." It activated but he hadn't had sufficient time to rid himself of the portkey and he was swept away with it.

Ice turned back to her companions with a heavy sigh. "Sorry 'bout that."

Fire waved her apology away. "It's okay," he said, "I know how stubborn Sirius is." He gestured for Wind to come over. "Let's get out of here before someone comes to investigate."

They were about to apparated when Wind's hand shot out to stop them. "You know, perhaps I should go first and try to calm mum. She's going to be pissed with us." The two others thought his idea over for a moment before nodding their heads only slightly frantically. They had no desire what-so-ever to face the wrath of one Narcissa Malfoy. Wind smirked knowing how the others feared his mother. He shook his head slightly and disappeared from the scene with a slight crack.

As the newest member of the trio left, another figure entered the area. This figure was cloaked in all black and had his hood pulled low over his head and was, upon landing, already in a defensive position. He seemed to glance around in confusion for a moment before he set his sights on the two remaining people and marched over, his wand still at the ready. "I got a distress call from this area and yet there seems to be no distress. Care to explain?"

Fire and Ice instantly knew who was standing before them. Severus Snape. They both lowered their wands, ever-so-slightly. "There was slight distress… for the Death Eaters," Ice said with a girlish giggle before continuing, "But that was easily handled." She lowered her wand the rest of the way as the man before her stiffened in recognition.

Severus Snape prided himself in being relatively unsurprisable person, but this? This he knew he should have expected and yet he never expected that voice to be the one that replied. That voice he just heard, he knew that voice; it was the voice of his former student and goddaughter. He studied the two people before him for a moment longer before he too, lowered his wand. He nodded his head toward the small home of Remus Lupin, signaling he wanted to talk to them in a place that wasn't so exposed.

The duo nodded their consent and followed the man through the house and to the living room with no windows and a small fireplace. Severus settled himself in a worn but comfortable chair next to the fireplace. The two others shed their glamours and sat on the squishy, red couch and waited for their former potions professor to speak.

Said man sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "I believe it's time you two answer some questions."

* * *

hT

**A/N: So terribly sorry about not updating sooner. I'm not going to try and make a long list of reasons, but just know that my computer crashed and I lost this whole chapter and had to rewrite the entire thing. I finally have access to a computer to type on. I will try and not let this happen again. I still want to finish this up this summer!**

**Thanks!**

**~WD**

**6/22/11**


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

There was a deafening silence as Cecilia and Harry waited for Severus to continue. "Well…" Cici drawled, waiting for him to start.

Snape cocked an eyebrow at Cici for a moment before leaning forward again, his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers knitted together with his chin resting on them. "Have you reconsidered telling me where you two have been hiding out?"

Cici smirked at him while Harry remained silent and impassive next to her. "And how exactly is that going to benefit us?"

Snape frowned as he leaned back once more. "It benefits you by allowing a responsible adult know where you are, should something happen to you." He sneered slightly.

"We are fine as is." Cici frowned. "Besides, there is already an adult that knows where we are that we can trust."

"So this has turned into a matter of trust, Miss Potter?" She nodded. "And over all these years I've been your head of house, when have I ever given you a reason to distrust me?"

Harry scoffed, the first time he made a sound during the meeting. Cici and Snape sent him a glare as Snape spoke again. "Do not mock things you do not understand, Potter." He sneered.

Harry was about to speak when Cici placed a warning hand on his shoulder and cut him off. "Harry, don't." She hissed at him. "I've told you, things in Slytherin are quite different than things in Gryffindor." She turned back to Snape and raised her voice from the whisper she spoke to her brother in. "I trust you to a certain extent, but I don't trust you to not go to Dumbledore with our location and try to force us back to school." He was about to deny the last statement, but Cecilia continued before he could.

"I know you're going to say you wouldn't, but I know you, you would go to great lengths to keep me and in extension, Harry, safe not only because I am a Slytherin, but because I am also your goddaughter. I respect that and am glad that I have someone to look out for me, but what Harry and I need most right now is to stay away from others and finish our mission."

Snape's scow deepened. "As you wish." His face returned neutral. "I see I am not going to get any more answers from you." He stood from his chair and turned to the fireplace after grabbing a handful of floo powder. He turned bac to her once more. "And Draco?" He asked.

Cici smiled slightly. "Yes, Narcissa also."

"Thank you, Cecilia." He said. Cici solemnly nodded her head in acknowledgement. He tossed the floo powder in the fireplace and whispered his destination and stepped in with a swoosh of his robes, their old Potions professor was gone.

Harry and Cecilia stood and reapplied their glamours before trekking though the house and yard to pass the wards. They turned on the spot and disappeared from the home of Remus Lupin. The both appeared at the Cave at the same moment, both glad that they were finally home.

They glanced around to make sure no muggles were in sight before they shed their glamours once more and changed their robes back to their original black as they made their way inside. They entered the small hallway that held the stairs and entryways into other main rooms. They pulled off their cloaks and hung them on the hooks by the door and went to the kitchen where they assumed their friend and his mum would be. What they didn't expect was to walk in and find the two bound and gagged around the kitchen table.

Instantly Draco's eyes found Cecilia's and pleaded silently to her to leave. She ignored his pleas and ran to his side and started untying him while Harry made his way to Narcissa and untied her. Cici pulled the gag from his mouth and asked what happened. Draco ignored her question and started ranting. "Cici, Harry, you both must go, leave now. Mum and I are what they're after, get yourselves out of here!" He whispered harshly as his hands came free.

"Draco, I can't leave you." She said incredulously as Harry managed to get Narcissa free of her bindings.

Narcissa glanced toward the door to the hall fearfully before starting to push the three others to the back door. "You all must leave now. They'll be back any moment." She pushed them out the door and kept pushing them through the yard. They were halfway through the yard, almost past the anti-apparation wards when a furious growl came from the room they just vacated.

The four fleeing the house stopped and turned sharply as five men in black cloaks exited the house. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here." The tallest of the five said. The voice was easily recognizable, aristocratic Lucius Malfoy. "If it isn't the famous Potter Twins coming to the rescue of two thirds of the Malfoy family. My, how the tables have turned." He sneered as the pulled his Death Eater mask from his face and his wand from his robes. The other Death Eaters followed example.

Cecilia's eyes widened. She left her wand back with her cloak thinking she wouldn't need it. She glanced at Harry and saw the look on his face; he didn't have his wand either. They moved in front of Narcissa and Draco hoping to stall the Death Eaters long enough to let the others escape without letting on that they didn't have their wands. "What's it to you?" Cecilia sneered back at the man.

"I think it has everything to do with me, they are my family, in case you've forgotten." He smirked. "Either way, we came here for the betrayers and we end up not only with them, but also the Potters. What luck." He and the other Death Eaters stalked forward carefully, waiting to see how they would react. Upon seeing no outward reaction, they moved closer. "What? Not going to even raise your wands because you know how hopeless your situation is?" He mocked. "Smart move."

Harry and Cecilia stood on edge, waiting for them to make a move and move they did. The Death Eaters seemed to become tired of waiting and started firing off spells. Five different but equally harmful spells we speeding towards them. Harry and Cici acted on instinct and pushed the two Malfoys out of harm's way before launching themselves at the ground.

"Oh, what's this? Not going to fight back?" Malfoy senior punctuated each question with a spell towards each child which said children promptly rolled out of the way of. Malfoy let out a crazed laugh and started firing off more spells, this time towards his defenseless family.

Draco managed to take refuge behind a tree, almost out of the wards while Harry ran to join him. Narcissa didn't have such luck and was almost hit by the bombardment of spells until Cecilia pushed her out of the way. Cecilia shouted at the other to go and that she'd be right behind them. Narcissa ran past the wards while Harry followed her and shouted, only loud enough for her to hear, the place they should go. They apparated from the spot, thinking Draco and Cecilia were close behind them.

Lucius let out a frustrated roar when his wife and Harry Potter got away. He rounded on his son, not wanting him to also escape him. Draco however, was more worried with Cecilia's safety and ran to where she was slowly picking herself up from the ground. He reached her and grabber her upper arm to help her up the rest of the way while Lucius turned to the other Death Eaters and hissed at them to leave him to deal with his son. They reluctantly turned from the yard and made their way out of front and apparated away.

Lucius rounded on his son with fury in his eyes. He watched his son help the girl to her feet with a sneer. "Draco, why waste your time with that girl, she is nothing."

Draco placed himself in front of her, glaring at his father. "She's more than you'll ever be."

Lucius' sneer turned into a smirk. "Do my eyes deceive me, or have you _fallen_ for the enemy?" He stepped closer, his smirk widening as there was no answer form his son. "Oh my, Draco, you've really stooped low."

Draco tensed and his glare grew fiercer. Cecilia placed her hand on his shoulder. "Draco don't, it's not worth it." She pushed in front of Draco to speak to the elder Malfoy. "Why is it so important for Draco to return when he obviously doesn't want to?"

"My Lord wants the betrayer brought to justice and Draco was so careless as to leave a trail." He sneered.

"And you'll really allow your only son be subjected to that?" She asked sickened.

"Yes. Now move out of my way, Potter, or else." He raised his wand threateningly.

"Oh, yeah, that's _real_ scary." She sneered expertly, not budging from her spot even as Draco tried to push forward.

"I'm growing impatient, Potter." He tapped his foot to show his impatience. Cici made no move and his patience seemed at an end. He sneered once more and then let the spells fly at the two defenseless children before him. Cici pushed Draco aside once more before trying to dodge the spells herself, but Lucius assumed she'd try the same move she attempted before and planned for it. A bright purple light came shooting towards her and she knew she couldn't move completely out of the way. She twisted her torso in a last attempt to dodge it but it grazed across her chest leaving a fairly deep gash from the edge of one shoulder to the edge of the other.

She fell to the ground, pain searing through her as she lost blood at a rapid place. As she struggled to keep consciousness, she saw another spell fly over her, this time toward her attacker. She glanced over and saw a blurry figure holding two wands and helping Draco to his feet. Her sight started fading to black as Draco kneeled next to her, frantically speaking over his shoulder.

~xXx~

Harry was running, following closely behind Narcissa, rushing to reach past the wards. He knew he needed to tell her the place to go. "Go to the graveyard by the church. Wait for Draco, Cecilia and I." He said urgently. She nodded reluctantly before disappearing from the scene with a 'pop.'

Harry wanted the others to believe he was headed to the same place. He apparated, but his destination was not the graveyard, but merely the front of the house. It was risky, he knew, but he and Cecilia needed their wands from the robes. He didn't know if all the Death Eaters had accompanied the eldest Malfoy to the back yard but he needed to take that risk. He appeared and quickly strode through the front yard to the door. He snuck in, relieved that there seemed to be no other Death Eaters in the house, and started searching through Cici's robes for her wand before grabbing his and sneaking out the door once more.

He knew he needed to return to the back but he wasn't about to apparated there and reveal himself. Instead, he slowly made his way through the trees the surrounded the property, never letting the Death Eaters out of sight once they were in it. He watched as Malfoy Sr. dismissed the other Death Eaters and talked with Cecilia and Draco for a few more moments. Harry was now directly behind his sister and Draco and was about to take action when Lucius did just that. Harry watched in horror as a barrage of spells flew towards his ex-enemy and sister. It was as if everything was in slow motion as he watched as Cecilia pushed Draco away and be struck down herself with some unknown spell.

He jumped into action and stunned Malfoy Sr. while helping Draco to his feet. Draco quickly made his way to Cecilia while Harry went to the fallen Death Eater and sent him to the Ministry. Draco was shouting at him while trying to stop the bleeding but with no success. "What are we going to do, where are we going to take her?"

Harry thought for a moment, trying to think of a different option but when none came, he quickly placed Cici under a stasis spell and levitating her past the wards with Draco following closely at her side.

"I know where to take her. It's not where I want to go, but I fear we have no other choice. You're not going to be very welcome where we're going, but that's unavoidable." Harry lightly placed a hand on his sister and grabbed Draco's shoulder and apparated from their hideout for the last time.

They appeared on the doorstep of a house. Harry opened the door cautiously and peeked inside. Upon seeing no one, he opened the door further and levitated Cecilia in with Draco trailing after. He lowered her to the floor rushed swiftly from the room as Draco kneeled next to her and lifted her head into his lap. Harry went to the kitchen where he heard several voices speaking quietly. He strode in confidently and let his gaze run across the room, searching the faces in the room.

He locked eyes with his former potions professor while the rest of the inhabitants of the room were shocked into silence at the sudden reappearance of the Boy-Who-Lived, but said boy paid no attention to those. He stared into the eyes of his most hated professor pleadingly. "Snape, Cici, hall." He uttered those three words and as soon as 'hall' left his mouth, Snape was halfway out the door, his robes flying out behind him.

Harry took a deep breath and made his way through the questioning people to the floo. He threw the powder in and called out "Hogwarts Infirmary" and sticking his head in the fireplace and started speaking immediately. After a whispered conversation that the other occupants strained to hear but couldn't make out, Harry pulled his head from the fire and waited a moment as the Hogwarts nurse walked through in a rush. Harry practically ran from the room with the nurse right on his heels.

He led her to where Snape was kneeling next to Cecilia and Draco and waited a moment before turning back to the door and walking out. He stopped on the doorstep a moment before apparating right as the door was flung open again and several people glared out into the late afternoon sky, wondering exactly where their Chosen One disappeared to when his sister was gravely injured.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I seem to be crancking out long chapters (you know, for me). I'll update as I get the chapters finished, that means it could be two days or two weeks beween updates. I have semi-regluar computer access, so that's good. But I have parade practice the end of this week for band (and I haven't even worked on memorizing the music for it yet) and I have yet to even start on my AP history summer work...blah. Sorry some of these chapters aren't very great, it's just, at this point, I want to finish this soon. *End rant***

**~WD**

**6/26/11**


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty One

Snape barely spared a glance as the second Potter fled the house; his mind was focused on his severely injured goddaughter. He felt someone kneel next to him and pat his shoulder lightly. He shrugged it off but allowed the Hogwarts nurse some space to look. "Severus, let's get her upstairs in a room. I can't treat her on a floor." He reluctantly moved away and allowed the stern nurse to maneuver around Draco and levitate her up the stairs. He then turned to his godson and helped him to his feet.

"Draco, listen to me." Snape sat next to the distraught boy who had his head I his hands. "If Cecilia is anything, she's a fight. She will make it through this, I guarantee you." The boy showed no signs of belief. Snape sighed and reached into his robes for a potion. "Here, take this." He wrapped the boy's fingers around the vial of calming draught and watched closely as the boy drank it.

The others slowly trickled back into the kitchen, each eyeing the distressed boy as they either took leave or sat themselves at the table for a nice meal cooked by Molly Weasley. The table was fuller and quieter than normal as people glanced as Severus questioningly. Throughout the meal the only thing heard was the clatter of silverware on plates and an occasional uncomfortable cough. The youngest Malfoy didn't touch his meal, instead opting to hold his head in his hands worriedly.

The meal finished and several people felt the uncomfortable silence too much and opted to leave instead of staying a while longer as they usually would. About an hour and a half after their arrival, Madam Pompfrey returned to the kitchen and sat next to Snape and conversed with him in a whisper for a while. Draco raised his head and looked at the nurse with hopeful eyes. Snape frowned at her for a moment before standing and grabbing the blond boy and leaving the room.

They silently crept up the stair and into the third room on the right. It was a guest bedroom currently occupied by a deathly pale girl with flaming red hair: Cecilia Potter. Draco instantly went to her side and kneeled next to the bed. Her white button up shirt had been transfigured into a strapless shirt that revealed her wound. There was a bandage wrapped around her shoulders and across her chest that looked fresh but was already stained red with fresh blood.

Severus stood in the doorway with the worried nurse speaking in hushed tones to him. "I don't know what to do, it won't respond to magic means of healing. I was hoping you could give me some insight as to what spell might have been used." Snape nodded mutely before making his way to the bed with the nurse following closely behind.

He looked down sadly as his alarmingly pale goddaughter as the nurse removed the bandages from her shoulders carefully. The wound was worse than how it had started. The edges were now a very irritated red and the wound itself was quite deep. Severus knew exactly the spell that inflicted the wound. He looked pointedly at the nurse then tilted his head to the boy. She nodded. "Mr. Malfoy, we need you to leave the room for a moment while we deal with something." She pulled the distraught boy from his knees and gently pulled him from the room. He was shut from the room. He leaned against the wall and fell to the floor to wait.

The nurse shut the door after a worried glance to the distressed boy and made her way to the Potions Professor who was leaning over the injured girl. She remained silent, waiting for the man to speak. "I know what cause this." He whispered. "It's a terrible creation of Lucius Malfoys. There is no magical cure for it, in fact, magic only infects it more. She has to heal the muggle way." He sneered. "Throughout the duration of her recovery, she cannot take any health affecting potions nor can any healing spells be used on her."

"Severus, we can't allow this to stay as is, it will never heal by itself and I am not proficient in muggle healing. Snape nodded slightly as he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to tend to his goddaughter the muggle way. Several hours later, he stood and wiped his brow and glanced down at the jagged and messy stitched across her chest. "It's nowhere near perfect, but it's the best I've got. It's going to need to be cleaned often and monitored closely for infections."

The nurse nodded. "Thank you, Severus." She whispered softly as he left the room and helped the young Malfoy to his feet and into the room. She turned her attention to the boy. "Mr. Malfoy, I know you care a great deal about her, but you must allow her to wake on her own; she's lost a lot of blood and to wake her before her body is able to function properly could harm her further."

Draco nodded solemnly and made his way to the bed as Pompfrey left. He felt her old tedacher place two vials in his hands before leaving behind the nurse. He knelt next to her head and took her hand, trying to ignore the thirty uneven stitches. "Cici, you better wake up soon. I need to see you up and about with my own eyes; this was too close and it was entirely my fault." He shook his head, running his free hand through his already messy blond hair. He then inspected the two potions given to him: a calming potion and a sleeping potion. He smiled slightly before arranging himself in a more comfortable position, still holding Cecilia's hand. He glanced down as his best friend once more before taking the potions with a small smile on his face.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Molly Weasley was trying to convince the Hogwarts nurse and Potions Professor to stay and have a bite to eat before returning to the school. "Come on Poppy, Severus, you've done so much for us, it's the least I can do." She smiled hopefully and held up a pot of coffee.

"End of term exams are next week, I really can't afford much time away from the school." Snape turned to the nurse and spoke as he started towards the fireplace. "I suspect her wound will take anywhere from six to eight weeks to properly heal, perhaps more." Severus said. "I cannot give her any blood replenishing potion or the like; she must deal with the blood loss on her own." Then he was gone.

The nurse nodded and then declined the Weasley matrons offer sadly. "I'm sorry, Molly, I have a patient at the school," she shook her head in disbelief. "He fell down a flight of stairs, the clumsy boy. He has a habit of not sleeping through the night and I need to be there when he wakes." Molly's face fell. "I'll be back often to check on Miss Potter though, perhaps then." She grabbed pinch of floo powder and disappeared with a flash of green flames.

~xXx~

Hours turned to days and days to weeks and still Cecilia Potter's condition didn't improve. Draco barely left her side throughout this time, much to the dismay of Hermione Granger and the Weasley's who returned to Grimmuald Place for the winter holiday. Harry and Narcissa hadn't returned yet and it worried Draco when he wasn't worried about Cecilia's condition which hadn't improved much in the two weeks she had been confined to the bed, not that she needed to be confined because she had yet to wake form her coma.

It was as if a fog was clouding her mind and stopping her motions. No matter how hard she tried to move, the fog seemed to be weighing down on her and hindering her motions. She could hear the voices of people who talked while within the room. She mostly heard whispered conversations between who she thought was Ron and Hermione, other times she felt a hand holding hers and whispered words she couldn't quite make out. Sometimes she heard the back and forth conversations of the twins.

Time seemed to pass much slower in her mind because she felt as if the daily visit of the one who would sit and hold her hand was quite short, but as slowly as the time passed, the fog seemed to life ever so slightly. She heard him stand and then a soft brush of lips on her forehead and whispered words. "Please get better, Cecilia. I don't know how much longer I can be holed up with those Weasley's." She felt a touch brush her hair out of her face and the fog seemed ever lighter. There was a small chuckle. "If it weren't for you…" He shook his head and let the sentence hang open.

The fog now was now more of a slight haze and she felt as if she could finally move after what felt like months of confinement. She twitched her eye lids, then her fingers and toes. She opened her mouth and took a deep breath and her eyes cracked open. She reached up and rubbed her eyes. "You really must love me, Malfoy, if you're staying in a house full of Weasleys." She managed to croak out before a coughing fit took over. She watched his back stiffen and he slowly turned.

His eyes widened for a moment before a smirk filled his face. "I can't believe I'm saying this, Potter, but you're worth it." His smirk softened into a worried smile as he strode back to the bed and summoned some water. He helped her sit up and held the glass for her as she slowly managed to swallow a few mouthfuls before she coughed once more.

When she settled, she spoke once more. "How long have I been out, Draco?"

"About three weeks. Cecilia, it's Christmas Day. The others are downstairs."

"Help me up, Draco." She held out a hand. Draco reluctantly helped her up, asking why she wanted to be up and about already. "Think of how nice of a present my waking up would be. I know how worried everyone's been. I've been conscious for days, able to hear, but not move. I've heard everyone pass through my room but haven't been able to do anything…it killed me." She whispered the last part.

Draco nodded slightly and handed her an oversized jacket and made sure that it didn't touch the wound too much. He wrapped his arm around her waist and practically carried most of her weight as they slowly made their way out of the room and down the stairs. They passed the empty kitchen and stood in the doorway to the family room where the Weasleys, Harry, Narcissa and Lupin sat around, some on the floor, others on the plush, green couches. They were talking quietly, waiting for Draco to return to they could continue with the morning's festivities.

Cecilia smiled at the sight. Months ago, she wouldn't have dreamed of spending Christmas not only with Draco, Narcissa and Harry, but also with the Weasleys and Lupin. "Well, why are you all sitting around, there are presents to be opened!" She smiled brightly, still leaning most of her weight on Draco.

Instantly, everyone in the room jumped to their feet and stared at the weak girl in the door. Fred and George instantly moved to make room for her on the couch they had just sat on. They freed Draco of her weight and led her to the couch to sit between them. Fred flung his arm around her shoulders being mindful of her wound and cast a fleeting worried glance at her. "Alright there, Cecilia?"

She smiled, ignoring her pain and slipped his arm from her shoulders. "Of course," She said as she pushed her glasses back up on her nose. "I'm a Potter, remember."

Remus smiled tightly as he left the room and went to the kitchen. They heard the fireplace roar to life. He returned shortly and the Christmas celebrations began with a new cheer about the people in the room, pure, joy-filled smiles gracing the faces of each person for the first time in almost a month.

* * *

**A/N: Hello all. Sorry this has taken so long. I've been terribly busy with band and friends and re-reading the Harry Potter books as I do each time a new film comes out. Yes dears, I just returned from the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part two and felt the intense urge to write more...you know, once I got past the overwhelming heartbroken and empty feeling. For the last nine years, I've always had a new Harry Potter book or film to look forward to, but now it's over, even if it's not really over (because it will never be over, not really.). I shed more tears tonight than I have in the last month and a half combined, but it was, by far, the best film. I know I'm not alone when I say that Harry Potter has been the only constant in my life for the last decade and I know there must be someone reading this who knows this feeling. I hope that those who have yet to see the movie get to do so really soon because it really is fantastic. **

**~WD**

**7/15/11**


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty Two

"You don't understand! I can't just sit around here anymore; I'm sick and tired of it!" Cecilia paced across the room for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I know Harry and Sirius are planning something without me and I am not going to sit back and do nothing!"

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. You can't leave this house until you're fully healed and that's not going to happen for another couple weeks at the least." Remus Lupin said to her for the millionth time before standing from his position on the couch. He stopped her with his hands on her shoulders and then directed her to sit the seat he just vacated. "You've got to stop this and I've got to go; there's a full moon tonight, Severus is coming over later. Please, don't try to run off." He straightened and started towards the door as he mumbled "again" under his breath.

Cici crossed her arms and glared at him as he rounded the corner. "I heard that!"

He peeked his head back in the door. "You were supposed to." He winked and grinned before quickly pulling his head out of the door as a stunning spell shot towards his head.

Cecilia growled in frustration as he got away. She plopped down into a cushy armchair with a huff. She crossed her arms and legs and sighed as she dropped her wand on the table next to her. She had been cooped up in the Order Headquarters for weeks and once everyone had gone back to school, it had been exceedingly boring.

Harry came and went, sometimes Draco came by with Harry but it was never for very long. She knew Harry and Sirius were planning something; whenever Harry was over, he was with Sirius tucked away in some obscure corner of the house. She just needed to figure out what they were doing because she was not going to sit back and let them do anything without her.

She started tapping her foot into the air impatiently as she thought. She had to do something before Snape got here because there was no way she'd be able to get out with her over protective Godfather breathing down her neck all the time no one she wanted to talk to.

She heard the door open and then shut again soon after followed by soft footsteps. She grabbed a book off the table next to her chair and opened it to a random page and pretended to read, hoping Snape would leave her be. She heard footsteps; they stopped at the door and Cecilia tensed, waiting, her eyes glued to the book.

"Well, are you going to sit there all day and pretend to read or do you want to get out of here before Snape arrives?" She jerked her head up. Draco was leaning casually against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Harry was standing behind him glancing down the halls worriedly.

Cecilia snapped the book shut and put it back. She debated for about thirty seconds before she stood again and stalked back to her room. She grabbed her small bag that Draco had brought her from the Cave and started tossing her clean, unfolded clothes into it. She swung it over her less injured shoulder and returned to her brother and best friend.

Only this time, when she returned, Sirius was standing next to them. Cecilia narrowed her eyes at the older man for a moment and waited. She waited for him to tell them off and send her back to her room as he had done the last time she tried to get away. But he only pushed her toward the door. They rushed her out of the house and grabbed her arm and apparated away before Snape arrived.

Cecilia yanked her arm away from Harry when they arrived and surveyed the area. It was a forest somewhere and there was a nice camp set up. It was a small brown canvas tent with a brightly burning fire pit in front of it with a tea kettle brewing on it. There were large boulders around the fire with flat tops to sit on. About ten feet away was an old looking picnic bench with dirty paper plates, plastic forks and disposable cups scattered across it.

She frowned at the campsite. "You've been camping like muggles while I've been stuck at Headquarters with nothing to do for weeks?" She rushed towards where Draco and Harry were standing behind Sirius and punched them both hard. Harry just cringed and took it but Draco pointed at Sirius and spoke.

"Why not hit him too!" Draco moved farther away from Cici.

"I know he was involved in this, but he did his job of playing the protective guardian well. For that, I am going to overlook his part in this because he made it believable that he had no part." She merely glared at him for a moment before turning the glare on her best friend before grabbing her bag from where she dropped it and entering the tent without another word. Harry and Sirius were trying to hide their laughs as Draco huffed and sat on a rock by the fire with his head in his hands.

Cecilia stomped around in the magically expanded tent as she went to the only unoccupied room. She tossed her bag down on the small bed and went into the small kitchenette and got a glass of water. She sighed and went back outside. Harry and Sirius had moved to sit at the dirt picnic table and were chatting silently. Draco was sitting on a rock and staring pensively in the fire.

Cecilia sighed and moved to sit next to Draco on the same rock. Neither said anything for several minutes; Cecilia only sipped slowly at her water. "You know, I'm not really mad. If anything, I'm beyond happy to be out of there."

Draco raised his head. "I know, I just can't stand the thought of you being even remotely mad at me."

Cecilia finished her water and placed the glass on a small pile of dead leaves that was scattered around. She leaned her head on Draco's shoulder. "You're my best friend; I could never stay mad at you for very long."

Draco looked down and smiled softly at Cecilia's head and extended her arm around her, giving her a hug. Cecilia and Draco stayed like that as the sunset filtered in through the canopy of branches above them. Cecilia eventually pulled away and stood from Draco's grip. She brushed her jeans picked her empty glass from the ground. She walked behind Draco, brushing her hand across his shoulders, and made her way towards Harry.

She frowned at the trash on the table and vanished it with a wave of her wand. Sirius had long since wandered off somewhere and Harry was sitting alone with a defense book propped open in front of him. She sat down across from her brother and folded her hands neatly in front of her. "I want to know what you and Sirius were talking about all those times when you came to headquarters." Harry opened his mouth to respond but Cecilia cut him off. "Don't try and deny it. I know you were planning something, I'm not stupid." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Harry sighed. "I'll tell you, but you cannot participate in this plan because you're not fully healed." Cici's eyes narrowed further and Harry cringed slightly. "Look, Sirius realized something. With all the Lestrange's either dead or serving life sentence in Azkaban. As a relative, Sirius should be able to gain access to the vault. If that doesn't work, well…we haven't gotten that far. We're hoping we don't ever have to get that far."

"And you all expect me to sit here and twiddle my thumbs while you're off destroying another horcrux?" Her eyebrows shot up and she pulled her hair off to one side and straightened her glasses.

"Not my opinion, Cecilia. It's the shared opinion of Draco and Sirius. I would honestly rather have you there with us, but in the interest of your safety and injury, you have to stay away. Just this time, Cecilia!" Harry added that last part as he watched her eyes grow darker.

She stood angrily and turned sharply on her heel towards the fire pit, but Draco was gone. She went into the tent, stomping towards Draco's small room. Said person was currently sitting on the edge of his small bed with a small black, leather bound book in his hands. When he heard Cecilia's approach, he snapped it shut and slipped it behind his pillow.

Cecilia leaned against the wooden pole where a curtain was tied back with her arms crossed and a glare set in stone on her face. "So, what's this Harry tells me about you wanting me to stay behind, hmm?" Her foot started tapping.

Draco's eyes remained neutral, but they showed a small amount of surprise. "Cici, your wound isn't fully healed yet. Too much fighting or anything of the like could rip the stitches and open the wound again."

Cecilia's frown deepened. "From what Harry's told me, there won't be any fighting!" She shouted angrily. "This is as much my job, as it is Harry's. You and Sirius cannot decide when I can and cannot go; you are not my boss, you are not my parents, you are, in no way, shape, or form, in charge of me. What I do is purely the choice of me, and only I can decide if I'm well enough or healed enough to do something. This," She dragged her one hand across where the gash was, "is fine. Trust me, if something happens where it might be reopened, I will do everything in my power to prevent it."

Draco stopped her rant as he stood. "Well why not prevent it by not risking it in the first place!" His hands had curled into fists.

Cecilia straightened her arms and slowly uncurled her fists, trying to avoid the reassuring presence of her wand in her pocket. "Because I can't sit back and let others do my job. You have to understand why I can't sit back and wait while others might be hurt doing something they shouldn't have to in the first place."

Draco frowned slightly before moving forward and taking her shoulders in each hand. "Cecilia, you cannot blame be for being so careful. You almost died. I almost lost you, Cici. That was the worst feeling in the world, like I couldn't go on or do anything until I knew you were safe, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that I never have to come close to feeling that again."

Cecilia fell into his arms. He held her for several moments, trying to compose himself while she thought of what to say next. "Draco, I love that you care so much for me," She whispered into his shoulder, "but I _cannot_ sit back while you, Harry, and Sirius do that."

Soon the two came to an understanding. Cecilia would not go directly with them, but she would be nearby in case something happened that led to a fight. Sirius still strongly disagreed with Cecilia coming along at all, but Harry eventually convinced him it would be okay. The three planned for weeks of different plans in case something did happen and they would have to actually break into Gringotts. They were desperately hoping it wouldn't come to it, but they had to be prepared for the worst. Cecilia half believed that they didn't think much would go wrong, but that they were just trying to buy as much time as they could for Cecilia to heal. It was after almost a month of their planning that Cecilia had finally had enough.

"Look," she said, standing with her arms crossed and hips cocked, "I know you're only stalling this trip so that I may heal more, but I swear on my parents graves' that I will jinx all of your arses if we don't go through with this tomorrow."

The three men shared several looks before slowly nodded their assent. It wasn't like they were just throwing themselves in unprepared, after all, they had been ready to go for ages. Now it was time to actually do the work and hope nothing illegal would follow their trip to Diagon Alley.

* * *

**A/N: *hides from cyber-tomatoes being thrown at self* SORRY! Yeah, it's almost been two months, and what a crazy two months it's been. I've had band camp, more band camp, parties, school starting and two football games, plus a crazy amount of homework (because of my AP and 3 honors courses.) I also had an insane case of writers block on this, but I have started writting another story that I managed to get 14,000 words into... Well, anyway, since I have no school today, I felt there was no better time than any to post this. Happy Labour Day!**

**~WD**

**9/5/11**


	34. THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN Chap 33

Chapter Thirty Three

A slight wind whipped through bright midafternoon sky, wafting through the long blonde hair on a certain teenager. Cecilia Potter under the alias of Ice sat, her back ramrod straight, watching the busy street below her. Black robe clad people strode swiftly through the street, hoods pulled low over their faces, going to their destinations and finishing their tasks in a timely manner. The place, Diagon Alley, was nothing compared to what it was just two years ago. She shook her head sadly at the reign of terror brought on by Voldemort's minions. Although rather depressing, it did aid them in their mission because Fire, Wind and Padfoot would not seem out of place for hiding their faces among the crowd.

She tapped her fingers silently on the low stone wall on the roof of the building from which she was observing after she pulled her plain, black hood lower over her head. She waited, watching closely for the three figures to walk down the alley, their destination: the bank. Ice wished desperately she could be walking alongside them, but she knew being here in the alley was better than sitting in a campsite, alone, waiting for someone to return to hear of the success, or failure, of their mission, so she had agreed reluctantly to observe.

She sighed, wishing she had something or someone to occupy her time until the others appeared. She pulled her wand from her robes and twirled it aimlessly in her fingers, thinking of a certain blond boy. After living with him in such close quarters for so long, it would have been hard to not notice his growing feelings, whether he was aware of them or not. A smile graced her lips as she thought of him, knowing that while his feelings grew over the time they had spent together, the ones she had remaining from her 'old life,' never diminished in the first place. With the other half of her attention, the street was watched, searching for a small group of people, hurrying to their destination, not that that was very uncommon, but Ice would be easily able to pick them out from a crowd.

Ten agonizingly long minutes passed before the group of three ventured down the alley, walking quickly down the main street. They spared no one a glance as the made their way towards the wizards' bank. She perked up slightly, watching for anything suspicious near them as they entered the bank. Nothing. Ice turned away from the street and relaxed back against the wall once more, knowing she had a wait ahead of her.

She slouched with her hands behind her head, fingers intertwined, watching clouds as they passed overhead. The fluffy innocence they conveyed alluded to none of the destruction and terror occurring within the wizarding world that she was fighting so hard to destroy. She sighed, wishing everything was as simple as a bunch of water condensed in the sky. She let her mind wander, finding pictures in the sky like she had done for many long hours as a child. Long minutes passed before she shook herself from her imagination. Although it mostly required sitting and waiting, she was still on a mission. She sat back up, back straight and eyed the street warily once more.

~xXx~

Three men strode swiftly through the small crowd of people that blocked their way to the wizard bank at the end of the alley. They were on a mission, there was no room for politeness on their part, not that they expected any in return with the atmosphere in which they were forced to live. All three had their faces covered; on one hand, they were glad that they did not stick out amongst the others because of the hard times the wizarding world was experiencing, but also rather disgusted that a simple trip to the central wizarding shopping district in London had been reduced to quick errands and hidden faces. Yes, no one spared their disguised faces a single glance as they pushed past.

They arrived at the wizard bank without trouble, all three having resisted the urge to glance along the rooftops for the fourth member of their group. The bank was quiet, very few wizards were there, and just as few goblins. The group made their way to an open teller to make their… unusual request.

The goblin glared at them slightly. "May I help you?"

Sirius took a step so he was at the front of the trio. He gave a slight bow to the surprised goblin. "Yes, I have a few… questions. I am hoping I might be able to take them up with the Head Goblin?"

The goblin frowned. "And what makes you think you're more important than any other customer here?"

Sirius shook his head. "I don't and I know your time is valuable, but the questions pertain to a vault that is not my own."

"Then the questions shouldn't need answered because if the vault in question is not your own, it's not your concern." The goblin's glared intensified.

"I swear to you that there is valid reason for our questions. I'm not saying they must be answered; I'm simply asking to see if the Head Goblin finds the purpose for our visit… worthy."

"Worthy or not, the vault is not your own and a goblin cannot allow any interference with those matters." The stubby arms of the greenish creature crossed angrily.

A second from the group stepped forward and discreetly tilted his head in a way that allowed his face to show. A smooth oddly shaped scar shone on his forehead. Harry Potter made sure the goblin saw who he was before shaking his hood lower again. "Griphook," Harry started, surprising the goblin with his remembrance of his name, "If you recall, when I was eleven, you were the goblin who took me to my vault for the first time."

The goblin scoffed. "Of course I remember, it was an honor, even for a goblin."

Harry nodded slightly. "Then you, of all goblins, should understand my opinion about other's privacy and goblin's views of other's vaults. I would never ask something like this without sufficient reason."

Griphook seemed unconvinced but relented albeit reluctantly. "Follow me." He led the three down a rather low ceilinged hallway that they had to duck their heads ever so slightly in to avoid injury. He stopped in front of an ornate wooden door with polished silver handles and knocked lightly. There was a slight delay and the tall (by goblin standards) doors swung inward by themselves. Just inside the door were two goblins, both holding spears taller than themselves. They glared at the intruders for a moment before another goblin, this one slightly taller than the others and obviously more important, waved them off.

"What may I do for you, Griphook?" He asked the smaller goblin although his eyes were obviously staring at the three humans.

Said goblin shuffled nervously before speaking. "Master Rockhammer, these gentlemen have questions to which only you may provide answers."

The goblin, Rockhammer, finally turned his glare to the younger goblin. "And what exactly makes you think I am willing to waste my time answering their questions?"

Harry stepped forward at this point and lowered his hood. He bent down to one knee respectfully and bowed his head as he spoke with the goblin. "Please, Master Rockhammer, with the utmost respect, I ask you to hear my, our," He gestured to the two behind him who had taken his lead and lowered themselves to the ground on one knee. "Requests. Reject or deny them, scorn or help us, but please, we beg of you, hear us out."

The goblin stared at them for a moment with slight surprise at the amount of respect they showed to the supposed 'lesser race.'

"You show a respect to my race that no other has, and in return I will respect your wishes to the best of my ability." He gestured for them to rise and enter his ornate office. There was a large gold lined tapestry depicting a bloody goblin victory along one wall. Gold adornments were scattered about the room, obviously to show the status and wealth of the owner of the room.

Rockhammer dismissed the two guards with a lazy wave of his hand. They bowed low to their superior and left the room without a word spoken. Griphook also followed in their lead but Harry stopped him.

"If it is not too much to ask, could it be possible for Griphook to stay?"

The head goblin raised his eyebrows threateningly. "Surely you are not implying that you do not trust me to make the proper decision, or worse yet, harm you?"

Harry frowned. "Oh, no. Quite the opposite, really, you see, I wish for him to stay because I would like more than one goblin opinion on the topic. He gave me one earlier, but that was without proper knowledge of the reasoning behind my question. It also helps that I know and trust Griphook."

The mistrusting glare the goblin had been throwing his way lessened after Harry's explanation. "You are fast becoming one of my favourite humans, Mister Potter, let's hope you don't ruin it." The doors swung shut after Griphook fully entered the room.

The group took the four seats in front of Rockhammer's desk. Said goblin folded his hands together and placed them neatly in front of him. "Shall we proceed, then?"

Harry sat straighter. "Right. Well, as I said, I have a very… unusual request; one that may offend you without properly explaining beforehand." The goblin's face narrowed slightly at the term 'offended.' Goblins were very proud, high and mighty creatures.

"Perhaps this wasn't such an excellent idea, then, Mister Potter. To offend me is to offend my nation, regardless of how respectfully you've treated me thus far.

Harry nodded solemnly. "I'm aware of that, but it's a risk I must take. Let me begin explaining. The first part is simple: Voldemort. I don't feel like I need to say much about this. The pain and destruction he has caused must be stopped. Since I disappeared, that has been my and my sister's single goal. His reign upon this world must come to an end, soon." Griphook nodded knowingly, while Rockhammer remained silent with a calculating look gracing his harsh features. Harry paused for a moment, allowing them time to think, then began again. "But Cecilia and I can't do it alone. We need help, some of which can only come from the Goblin Nation."

"And of what type of help are you speaking. Surely you aren't asking us Goblins to join and fight a war in which we have nor want any part? A wizards' war?" Rockhammer asked, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Sirius finally spoke up once again. "A wizard's war? No, this cannot be just a wizards' war, not when Voldemort has werewolves, vampires, giants and trolls among his ranks."

Rockhammer's frown deepened. "Regardless, we would never entangle ourselves in that mess unless it directly affects us as a whole."

Sirius was about to jump in again before Harry stayed him with a glare that very obviously said 'you're not helping matters.' "And I would never ask such a thing of you. I must continue my story for you to properly understand. It is important that you know that Voldemort has taken steps to ensure his immortality. There are objects, heavily protected, that contain pieces of his soul, binding him to Earth, even if his body is destroyed. They are known as—"

Rockhammer cut him off with a fierce growl. "Horcruxes." His fist slammed down on his desk with a resounding thud. "And I presume you're here to tell me that one of these foul objects is within my bank?"

Draco winced as Harry shook his head yes. The goblin's fist slammed done once more. Griphook fared no better than his superior; his hands were clutched tightly around the arms of his chair, his sharp nails digging into the smooth wood. Harry took a breath and spoke again. "Nothing slips past you. Anyway, I understand, Master Rockhammer, Griphook, and not only do I want to rid you of that foul, evil, object, but I also wish to be one step closer to ridding the world of its owner." Harry said sincerely.

Rockhammer looked puzzled, unsure of how to proceed with the situation. He suddenly stood up. "There is only one thing I can think of doing currently. I'll be right back, Mister Potter, I think I may have a solution that doesn't put me out of favour with the Goblin Nation." He paused and took a deep breath. "I must speak with my leader." He exited the room with Griphook following behind him via a door behind a bookshelf in the back of the room.

Minutes passed in an awkward silence. Tension filled to room and each time any small sound was heard from either entrance to the room, each occupant twisted to stare at the door until it passed. Finally after an agonizingly long time that seemed like years but was only about a half hour, the bookshelf swung open once more, this time revealing a third goblin, slightly taller than the two with which they had previously been meeting. This one was very obviously of a higher rank within the Goblin Hierarchy as displayed by the gold gracing his neck, head, and hands. He entered the room and stood stiffly in the center, seeming to be waiting for something, not paying the three humans a glance but instead finding the wall above their heads incredibly interesting.

It took Harry no time to understand what was expected of them. It was a test. He slowly slid from his squishy chair and fell to the floor on one knee, his head bowed. The two others watched rather puzzled before mimicking his motions without questions. They remained frozen in that position until the goblin moved and took Rockhammer's previous seat. Once settled, Harry rose from the floor and reclaimed his seat, the others following his motions relieved.

Rockhammer looked on at the humans pleased before gesturing to the seated goblin. "This is Master Chief Ragnok. He is the leader of the Goblin Nation; any decision to be made that might affect more than a few individuals within our society is to be taken directly to him. Master," Rockhammer said and bowed back respectfully.

The goblin observed them for several minutes before speaking, only directing his words of Harry. "You are the leader of this group, no?" Harry nodded. "Then I speak only with you, for you show great respect and passed a test no others would have passed alone. Rockhammer has spoken to me of your predicament. As leader of my nation, I must do what I think is best, but I cannot risk angering so many of my people and allow a human to enter a vault, steal and destroy an object, no matter how dark, that is not their own. This is a situation that is very likely unprecedented in history and as such, it is something to which I do not have an immediate solution." The group fell into a tense silence.

After several minutes passed as they allowed the leader to think, Draco perked up. He cleared his throat and started to speak for the first time that day. "Would it be possible to simply claim a random sweep of all high security vaults? I know it has been done before, why not just do so again claiming an anonymous tip or something similar?"

An inquisitive look graced the features of the goblins present. "That might just work. These sweeps do not need to be reported to the wizarding world unless something drastic happens." A malicious grin broke across his face. "Wonder how Voldemort will take this news when it's plastered across the front page of The Daily Prophet tomorrow." The goblin's face fell into indifference once again. "But why should I do such a thing for you, a mere human?"

Harry was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but this was something important. He sighed sadly, but knew it had to be given up. "I know you are aware of my family vault and the objects within. Cecilia and I have spoken in great lengths about what we would be willing to give up, pay, or do in order to ensure access to that object. The cause is worth it to us, and so, if you will allow us to enter or retrieve for us, the Horcrux within the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange, the Potter family will present to you in thanks, an object as equally valuable to you as the Horcrux is to us. This object has two names, one that is long since lost to the wizards that even I, its owner, do not know. The Potter Shield."

A deafening silence fell over the room as the goblins stared at the boy in shock. Ragnok spoke. "Are you aware of how long it has been a desire of the Goblin Nation to regain that piece of work?" Harry nodded sadly. "As you wish. Then on behalf of the Goblin Nation, I accept your terms of payment, bound by your magic, and consent to perform the task which you desire." A glow surrounded the two before fading.

Harry stood and shook the hand of the goblin swiftly before returning to his chair. The three goblins nodded to each other as they left the room, Griphook and Rockhammer to the main bank, and Ragnok back through the bookshelf entrance, presumable to tell his subjects of the deal just made. As the room fell back into silence, Harry turned to Draco and nodded at him in thanks. The silence remained.

Long minutes passed but Harry, Draco and Sirius remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Harry's mind wandered to the inevitable confrontation with the evil wizard that would happen within the week. This war had run its course and it was time to bring it to a close. Sirius' thoughts ran along the same course, that the war needed to end soon, but another graced his mind, this one more ominous than just the end of a war. He knew the end was soon, but at what cost? Would any more lives have to be spared to reach that goal? Would it be Harry or Cecilia, the two who had been the center of the war since they were born? Sirius frowned before shaking his head in hopes to clear those thoughts from him mind.

Draco, however, was not focused on the war, at least not as directly as the others. His mind wandered out the door, down the street and to the top of an abandoned building where a redhead disguised as a blonde was sitting awaiting their return. Draco had more often than not caught himself thinking of her. He had known for some time that he had feelings toward her that extended beyond friendship, but he was unsure of how to go about them, so he simply tried to ignore them when around her, but recently they had become increasingly hard to push to the back of his mind. He shook his head to clear his mind as the door creaked open again and the goblins returned, Griphook with a burlap sack hanging from a hand.

Rockhammer grabbed the bag and swung it back and forth at Harry's eye level. "No problem whatsoever. A reporter from the Daily Prophet is on their way here. We just need to make our way out to the main lobby and give them the story to print."

The three humans nodded and stood, relieved to be nearly finished with the bank. Harry looked at Draco and Sirius for a moment. "I believe it's time the public got a good view of the Natural Disasters." Draco nodded in agreement and summoned a messenger patronus and sent it to Cecilia. Said person appeared moments later next to Draco.

"So everything went according to plan?" Her eyes searched out the others before landing on the goblins and the sack they carried. She shivered slightly when she caught sight of it but nonetheless, bowed respectfully to the goblins that had aided them and expressed her thanks.

Draco smiled at her and reached down to get a grip on her elbow and pull her to her feet. "Let's get this over with, Cecilia." All three pulled out their wands and started transforming themselves back into their alternate personas.

Harry looked to Sirius. "Perhaps you should stay out of the light, Sirius. It won't do to have it plastered in the paper for the entire world to see that you're connected to the three of us." He nodded reluctantly and pulled his hood low over his head once more. The group left the office and made their way through the low halls and back out into the main lobby where a reporter and photographer were waiting eagerly. Sirius slowed and allowed the others to pass him, slipped out of the bank as the reporter jumped to life and down the street to the pub, waiting silently in a corner, wishing for the best for his best friends' children and their once enemy.

* * *

Eight months. Eight months have nearly come and gone since I last updated. In eight months, I've matured as a writer, turned sixteen, gotten my drivers' license, gotten a job, and nearly completed my sophomore year of high school. It was never my intention to be gone from this story for so long, or to be gone at all for that matter, but things kept getting in the way. I won't try to make excuses, but I'm also not going to promise to keep a steady schedule. I tried so hard to write this at first, but every time I brought this chapter up, I just sat staring at the screen; by far the worst case of writer's block I've ever had. To be honest, I'm almost ashamed to show my face again (metaphorically, of course). If anyone actually still cares about this story, I don't deserve it because I've become the kind of fan fiction author I loathe. Summer vacation will be upon me in just over a month, and although I will still be busy, I will do my best to not allow another absence such as this one, no promises though.

WD

4/29/12


	35. The Not As Triumphant Return - Chap 34

No, this isn't abandoned. I promised, remember?

* * *

Chapter Thirty Four

'_**Natural Disasters' Rebel Trio Confirmed,  
Dark Object in Gringotts?**_

_Late in the afternoon yesterday, the office of the Daily Prophet received notice from the Head Goblin of Gringotts himself asking for a single reporter and photographer team to arrive as swiftly as possible to the bank. Just after I arrived, the goblin in question exited from the back office area with three mysterious characters; one cloaked in red, another in blue, and the third in a silvery grey. I caught sight of them and knew that rumors swirling about were true: the Natural Disasters do exist and are even more intimidating in person than previously made out to be. Alas, this wasn't the only exciting thing discovered during the meeting. This rebel group had, earlier in the day, informed the bank that a dark object of You-Know-Who's resided within one of their high security vaults. Upon investigating, this accusation turned out to be true and the item was confiscated. As with all high security vault sweeps, the public has to be informed. This will likely cause a panic among the general public, but let it be known, according to the Head Goblin himself, the problem has been taken care of. The last time a vault of such a magnitude was searched without warning was nearly sixteen years ago just before the first downfall… [Continued on pg. 6]_

Cecilia looked up into the faces of her companions squished around the small table with a grin. "Half of the front page? Not too shabby." She held it up to show off the picture plastered across the front page. Ragnok was standing proudly behind a teller's booth displaying a small golden cup. Harry, Cecilia and Draco flanked the goblin under their guises of the Natural Disasters. Smirks and the tips of their noses were the only features seen in the photograph, their hoods were pulled low to cover the rest; done with the purposeful intention of mocking Voldemort. The cup in the picture was currently lying, forgotten and destroyed, on the makeshift table they were surrounding.

Nearly a week had passed since the actual day that they ventured into the bank. The backlash of Voldemort's anger had understandably left Harry and Cecilia incapacitated for a day. They had been prepared for said anger, or as prepared as one could be for a megalomaniac's rage manifested as pain in their body. Once they awoke though, they simply gritted their teeth and tolerated it because, in the end, it was worth it. Outside of themselves, there remained only one horcrux and Voldemort knew this as well. It meant only one thing: he was planning something, something that would lure them out. Voldemort was predictable in that way. His immortality was at stake and he would be willing to do whatever it takes to save it.

Slowly but surely, days crept by, and yet Voldemort remained out of sight, but not out of mind. Voldemort and his plans were constantly on minds of the occupants of the tent. It was unusual that the dark wizard would wait so long for a confrontation when his immortality, his empire was at stake. Harry reported flashes of images when he risked a glance into Voldemort's mind. A battle was planned, date still unknown, but in a well-populated area. It was brilliant, really, because he had figured out their weaknesses. They wouldn't sit back and allow civilians to be injured. This uncertainty had all of them on edge; few hours went by without an argument or tense silences and the comic relief the article provided a much needed break.

Cecilia made sure the others were truly engrossed in the newspaper before silently lifting herself from her seat and retreating to her room, preferring the solitary silence over the tense silences and arguments to sort through her jumbled thoughts. Thoughts seemed to tare through her mind at such a rapid pace that she barely had time to comprehend what she thought before a new thought pushed the other aside and replaced it. Some things, though, always returned; things that seemed to be important enough to be addressed before the war whose end was looming nearer and nearer and with it, potentially the end of her life. Sure, thinking of her death was rather morbid, but since her encounter with Malfoy senior, it was something she had come to accept. She may have had knowledge of a future that she then prevented, but she was still human, very human indeed. The increasingly common pains running the length of the pasty white scar across her torso was a constant reminder of that vulnerability.

After pulling her auburn hair into a ponytail, she poked her head out of the sheet hung up to section her 'room' from the rest of the tent. Satisfied that the others were still occupied with the newspaper and pointless chatter, she plopped on her bed and leaned against the headboard. She listened once more, head cocked, to the others' low voices, before sliding her hand under her pillow. When her hand emerged, clutched in it was a journal with a plain leather cover. This journal contained every bit of important information she already knew or had collected during her stay at Grimmauld Place about horcruxes, soul magic, and their connection to Voldemort.

She flipped mindlessly through the pages, not really reading. She knew everything the book contained already, why reread it? The page flipping stopped on one page, a page that had seem much more daylight than any of the others because it held her deepest secret. In one rare, obscure book found deep in the furthest unused corner of the Black library, covered in dust and untouched for decades, she found it: the piece of information that would, ultimately, save lives.

It was the ability to transfer the soul fragments of horcruxes from one object to another.

Of course, this was for the purpose of piecing back together the soul, for those who wanted their soul whole again, that is. The book only gave theoretical examples for transferring from an inanimate object to original owner, not one human to another, both of whom are not the original owner of the soul. This posed several problems about whether or not this would work in their specific situation. Thirteen pages of these questions, what-ifs, theories, potential problems. Thirteen pages of writing she would have to ignore because this was the only solution that had a potentially positive ending. Tonight was the night. She would perform the spell tonight and face the consequences, if there were any, later.

All rationality aside, she needed to set her plan into action. With a small vial of slow reacting sleeping potion carefully hidden in the folds of her clothes, she emerged to begin preparing a dinner. The others paid her little mind as she started moving about and making noises in the small kitchenette. A half an hour later, there were three plates with large helpings of steak and mashed potatoes and gravy, and one with salad instead of steak, floating through the tent towards the three men sitting around the table, for once getting along relatively well. One set itself gently on the table in front of each man while the fourth stopped at an empty seat next to Draco. Seconds later, Cecilia emerged from the kitchen holding two mugs with her eyes focused intently on the two floating in front of her.

Draco immediately rose and took the two mugs from the air and her shoulders visibly relaxed without the added stress. "Thanks. No matter how much I practice that, it's always hard to focus without my wand."

Draco sighed as he handed one mug off the Sirius and kept the other for himself. "You could have just asked us to help you."

Sirius gave a hearty laugh. "Have you met this girl, Malfoy? Most fiercely independent girl I've ever met, she is; wouldn't ask for help to save her life."

Harry grinned and threw in his own two cents. "Now if it was saving someone else's life, and asking for help would save them, she'd do it in a heartbeat."

Cecilia poked at her salad with her fork. "What? Is it everyone pick on Cecilia day? Because none of you have any room to talk." She glared pointedly at each in turn before turning back to her salad.

"Well, someone is in a bad mood now." Sirius teased her from across the table.

"You would be too if three people were ganging up on you." The teasing stopped and the chatter died off as Cici frowned down at her plate. Several minutes passed in this tense silence and she could feel the three men passing glances and communicating silently thinking they had escaped her notice. She raised her head with an exasperated sigh. "Just because my head isn't up, doesn't mean I can't see what you're doing." They guiltily went back to their food. The silence continued for several more long minutes before Cecilia relented. "I'm sorry, guys. I've been on edge a lot recently. It's hard to actually sit and relax and joke when you know there are lives at stake every moment you sit here enjoying yourselves."

Sirius stopped sipping his butter beer mid swallow and began choking. Harry reached out and patted his back worriedly. Sirius recovered easily and sent a grin towards Cecilia. "That was on purpose, right?"

The two other boys held their breath and waited. Cecilia merely caught Sirius' eyes and cracked a grin in return. The boys relaxed. "Somehow, I'm not surprised you're the only one who caught it, Sirius, especially given your name and joking attitude."

Draco was about to turn back to his meal but stopped. "Wait. Caught what?"

"Nothing, Draco, it's not important." Cecilia shared a smirk with Sirius and went back to her meal with a decidedly more pleasant expression on her face.

A while later, plates were cleared away and Cecilia curled up with a book on her favourite chair outside her 'room.' Slowly, the others drifted off to head to sleep and eventually only Cecilia remained. The potion had finally kicked in; it was a good thing too, because it left the boys too tired to notice the distinct lack of page turning while Cici 'read' her book. In her mind, she was preparing, running through the long string of Latin she had to recite from memory later. She had only one chance at this, and she had to get it right the first time, regardless of the consequences.

She waited until all sounds of movement ceased before moving from her position. First she checked Sirius; he was out like a light, not surprising since he was the first to retire for the night. Next came Draco; she actually entered his room rather than simply peeking in to check. She found herself sitting tentatively on the edge of his bed. He was out, but still propped up against the headboard, his back supported by pillows. In his hands once more was that small black journal. After deliberating for a moment, Cecilia reached out and gently plucked the object from his fingers, remembering how he hid it so suddenly whenever she would enter the room.

She flipped through the oldest pages, not reading, just skimming. She caught the names of several of her classmates a few times, but it was dominated by the phrase 'those Potters.' She noticed as the dates at the tops of the pages progressed from their first year of school and so on. Eventually, 'those Potters' turned into two separate identities, Cecilia and Potter. Eventually Cecilia was shortened to Cici and the other names stopped appearing by the beginning of their fifth year. It had transformed to an average journal recording others to just her. She stopped at the point where she went missing, refusing to read even one entire page of the book and betray her best friend's privacy.

It pained her. She knew his feelings were there, how could she not, after all, she had them as well. But she also knew it was illogical to act on them, especially this close to her imminent doom. Well, perhaps 'imminent doom' was a bit dramatized, but either way, she didn't expect to escape the looming battle with her life. She sighed sadly and closed the book without reading anything more than the dates and names of people mentioned. She leaned down and placed a light kiss on the corner of his mouth before setting the book back on his lap.

She left him with one last glance back. When she finally made her way to Harry's corner of the tent, she knew he had to be fast asleep by this point. She stepped in and placed a silencing charm for good measure, just in case the other two woke up for some reason. Harry was sprawled on his bed, face up, making her job a lot easier. Cecilia pulled from her pocket a safety pin and pricked her finger hard enough to draw one drop of blood. She traced this blood over the famous lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

She gripped her wand tightly in her hand. One chance. With one last, calming breath, she connected her wand with the middle of his forehead and began chanting. "_Salvum me fac hoc iterum est ad partem animae alligentur. Hac vita sanguis ego facio, hoc languidis animam meam, quia mei paenitet actiones_." *

A white light started glowing around Harry, centering on the point where her wand and the scar connected. Everything seemed to be going according to planShe began chanting again. _"Salvum me fac hoc iterum est ad partem animae alligentur. Hac vita sanguis ego facio, hoc languidis animam meam, quia mei paenitet actiones_." She waited and watched in awe as the light started engulfing her wand and traveling up her arm. The light continued until it had covered Cecilia's entire body. She chanted a third and final time._ "Salvum me fac hoc iterum est ad partem animae alligentur. Hac vita sanguis ego facio, hoc languidis animam meam, quia mei paenitet actiones_."

A black mist rose from Harry's head and started slinking along Cecilia's wand and arm. It spread along her body until it had completely engulfed the white light that had previously been there. The darkness blocked Cecilia's vision. It was like a physical presence covering her entire body. It tightened its grip around her, entering her mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, overtaking her entire being.

With her mouth forced open in a silent scream, she fell, her wand finally losing contact with Harry's face.

And then the searing pain started.

* * *

*I hope no one was offended by that Latin because I don't speak it, I only used Google and with the few years of French I took, even I can tell it's not accurate. Not even close. Stupid Google. This is what I typed out in English: Make me whole once more for bound within this object is a piece of soul. With this life blood I do hereby reclaim my soul for I regret my actions.

Also, while you're here. The joke earlier, if you didn't catch it either, was a pun. She said something was at steak and they were eating steak. I didn't write that intentionally, it just happened and I went with it.

* * *

Hey guys.

I feel almost sheepish as I come back to you after yet another eight months. I don't want to sit here and make excuses, but I feel as though you all deserve explanations, especially if you've still stuck around.

The last time, after eight months, I thought was a completely different person, so changed and matured. Compared to some of the events of these last eight months, that is_ nothing_. I've had most of this written since June, but marching band started up in July and I was a leader this year, so my responsibilities more than doubled. I got busy and then, suddenly, it was August. By August, things were looking incredibly amazing for the marching season; we had an entire new style, an exciting show, enthusiastic freshmen, involved leaders, and a weekend trip for a competition scheduled. In the middle of band camp week, that entire plan came to a stuttering halt when we lost a band member in a car accident. I found it hard to do much of anything creative for a while; all I wanted to do was sit down and try to sort my thoughts out. And once I got back to writing (out of necessity due to a creative writing course at school), little by little, it was always, somehow, based around that day, that situation, those feelings. Two hours. A two hour break, that's all it was, and then he was gone.

I hope you all have a happy Christmas or whatever you celebrate (if you celebrate), and cherish those close to you, because they could be gone in an instant.

I'm going to try so very hard to keep up, as I'm very close to what I had planned for the original ending over two years ago. I'm going to California for a week for the Rose Parade, so after then I'll try to get back into the groove of writing.

I'll talk to you guys again, be that in one month, or one year, I will be back, because I always keep my promises. This will be finished.

~WD

12/22/12


End file.
